Still Got A Heart For Me
by smc-27
Summary: It had been eight years since she last saw Lucas. She decided to move back to Tree Hill, and she had a secret. Well, it wasn't really a secret, it was just that no one knew. It wouldn't be easy. She just hoped it wouldn't be hard. LP set post 505.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Let me preface this by saying that it's not what you think...You'll know what that means by the end of this chapter. And I won't keep you hanging for 10 chapters either. The next one will reveal all.

This is basically the prologue. Everything up to the end of S5 happened, except Peyton never returned to Tree Hill.

I know it's kind of a 'dry' chapter, but I have to set up the story somehow! Let me know what you think.

**----**

She glanced around the room one last time, just like she had to do with every room in the small house to ensure everything she owned was packed into boxes and labeled correctly. Her torn jeans were covered in dust and her hands were dry from handling so much cardboard in the previous weeks. But everything was set. The Sharpie in her pocket was pulled out only to mark the fragile boxes as such.

This had been her home for nearly three years. It was the first home she'd bought on her own, and she'd loved it. It had been a blank canvas when she first moved in, but now it felt like her. She'd hand picked the wall colours and furniture and art. She'd single-handedly renovated the bathrooms, which was great since it upped the resale value.

She had loved L.A. For a while. It had been good to her. Her 'career' in the music industry lasted almost four years, but when she realized she'd never be more than the assistant to the assistant, she decided she needed to move on. She started doing illustrations for a few local magazines, making a name for herself, and giving herself free time to paint. Her first piece sold for a lot more than she'd ever expected, and her work allowed her to buy her home. She could work when she wanted and had a ton of spare time, which ended up being more than just a convenience. It became a necessity.

Her life had changed dramatically in the eight years since she arrived in L.A., and it seemed that she only realized it now, staring at the empty rooms of the house she'd called her own for so long.

Things hadn't been easy. She had left Tree Hill feeling unstoppable and fearless and independent. She stayed that way for a long while, thinking that she would get everything she ever wanted.

And then it all came tumbling down.

One surprise visit and unexpected marriage proposal, and it was all over. She and Lucas were done, and she couldn't figure out if that was her own fault, or his. She hadn't said no, but she hadn't said yes. He hadn't stayed, but she'd broken his heart. She had only spoken to him once since.

And for a long time, she missed him. Her heart ached for him for a long, long time. She held out hope that somehow, all the words they'd said to each other, all the words he'd written for the world to see, were still true. Somehow, they'd both come to their senses and get back together.

But that, too, flew out the window. He'd called her and invited her to his book signing, and she thought that was their chance. She'd lost count of what chance that would be, but it had to mean something that he called. But it had been a cruel punishment. He was clearly with someone else. She hadn't thought him that malicious; that he would call her and ask for her to be there only to rub in her face that he wasn't hers any more. They were really and truly over.

So she moved on.

She met a man and fell in love. They lived together and laughed and joked and were _happy_. Until he accused her of still being in love with her ex-boyfriend. She had wanted to argue; to tell him that he was talking crazy. But she couldn't. He was right, and it took someone else pointing it out for her to realize it.

She could have gone back to Tree Hill to be with him. She could have changed her entire life, but it was bad timing for a lot of reasons. Brooke had just moved back, and she wanted desperately to be there in her hometown among her friends, but she just couldn't. So she kept in touch as best she could, given the busy lifestyle she lead, but it was always in the back of her mind that she would return someday to the sleepy little town she'd grown up in.

She heard from Brooke that Lucas was engaged to be married. The news hurt her, she wouldn't deny, but she was happy for him. It was hard to explain, but if he was happy, even if it wasn't with her, she was alright with that. She figured that's just what love was - the willingness to put your own feelings aside for the sake of someone else.

Her heart broke the day Brooke called and told her that he'd been left at the altar. She didn't ask for details, and none were offered. It didn't matter. It was almost as though she could feel his heartache. His pain hurt her. She'd thought so many times of calling him or writing him, but what would she say? She could never find the right words. They were either contrite or seemed insensitive. So she stayed quiet and went about her life. After all, he hadn't contacted her either.

But he was always in her mind and in her heart. No matter what was going on in her world, she constantly wondered what was going on in his. She found herself wondering what he'd think if he could see her. What would he say to her if he was observing her choices? It wasn't an obsession or anything unhealthy, it was just there. He was always there, even though she had much bigger things to worry about.

She had never been a material person. Money hadn't ever really mattered that much, as long as she had enough to get by. But when her paintings started to sell, she found herself with a nest egg that was large enough to allow for some luxuries. She didn't live outside her means whatsoever. She did buy an expensive SUV, knowing it was one of the safest models on the road. There were things she wouldn't sacrifice. Her priorities had shifted drastically since she left Tree Hill, and she worried that no one would understand that.

Brooke had assured her that everyone would welcome her back with open arms, but she was still skeptical. How could they? She'd been an outsider for so long, and she only knew about her friends through secondhand information. She talked to Nathan and Haley on birthdays or special occasions, but that was all. They didn't know what her life had been like for the past few years. She'd made Brooke promise not to divulge any details. Her painting career was a secret to most - she used a made up name to keep her anonymity. Brooke wouldn't even know she was an artist if Peyton hadn't told her. Her life was shrouded in mystery to the people who'd once been such a huge part of it, and she wondered if they'd be able to just accept her pushing her way back into theirs.

But she was going home.

She wandered around the top floor of her house - well, her old house - taking one last look at her bedroom, her studio, and the other rooms she'd spent so much time in. It had been a great chapter in her life, but it was over, and she was eager to move on, no matter how terrified she was.

There was a knock at the door, and she knew it had to be the movers. She let them in with a smile and told them to get started with the boxes and furniture from upstairs. Brooke had agreed to meet the movers on the other side of the country when they arrived at the new house. Her best friend was coming through for her big time, and she owed the girl a huge thank you.

It was all becoming real. She was leaving L.A. This time tomorrow, she'd be on the road, making the long and scenic drive to her hometown.

She didn't really have time to be scared (she never had) but she still was.

----

Lucas' life was filled with a few things; coaching, writing, his nephew, his brother, his best friend, his ex-girlfriend/current close friend, his mother, his sister. That pretty much covered everything.

He didn't date. After the Lindsey fiasco, he just couldn't. She'd left him at the altar, claiming he'd always love the leggy blonde he hadn't spoken to in years. Even worse was when Haley accidentally let it slip that he'd proposed to Peyton once upon a time. He'd conveniently left that part out, and that pretty much ended any hopes that he would win Lindsey back. And if he was being honest, amid the pain and heartache, there was a sense of relief in knowing that. It wasn't that he didn't love her - he did - it was just that he knew she was a substitute. She hadn't been in the beginning. She had been the one to heal his heart and show him that he could fall in love again. But as soon as she implied that he loved someone else, he knew that on some level it was true.

For a while, he had turned himself into a person he'd never been and one he wasn't meant to be. He'd drink and stay in his house for days at a time. Everyone assumed it was because he'd lost Lindsey, but it was actually all the pain he'd pushed aside after losing Peyton. She had been his life, and they'd broken up. He asked himself if he'd made the biggest mistake of his life, walking out of that hotel room. It still hurt that she'd turned down his proposal, but he had let his own foolish pride get in the way, and he had left her. He wondered what it was about the two of them that made them continually hurt each other.

No one knew how he felt. He told them he wanted to focus on his writing and his coaching. And he did, not only because he wanted to better his careers, but also because they served as the easiest distractions from what his heart and his mind truly wanted.

He hadn't spoken to Lindsey in almost two years. She'd edited his second novel, the one that had broken her heart, and then she'd assigned him to a different editor. He was grateful. He couldn't bear to hear her voice and know that she was yet another person who was hurt by the toxic and overwhelming relationship that was Lucas and Peyton.

But there was no Lucas and Peyton. Not any more.

His third novel was about searching and yearning for something you're not sure exists any more. It followed a young woman as she made mistakes and sacrifices and dealt with more tragedy than any one person should have to. He hadn't come out and said it, and no one had questioned, knowing he didn't even want to hear her name, but it was another book that, in a roundabout way, was about Peyton.

He knew Brooke, Haley, and Nathan kept in contact with her, and he'd wanted so desperately to ask about her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to take it if she were with someone, or married. God, she could be married to someone else. He almost had. He wondered if that was how she'd felt when she heard he'd gotten engaged. Brooke had told him that she'd mentioned it to Peyton. At the time, Lucas hadn't been too concerned - he didn't love her then. Well, he didn't realize it; wouldn't admit to it.

But now, the mere thought of her with someone else hurt him. He wanted her all to himself.

But those days were over.

He walked into Brooke's house, shortly after getting a call from her requesting that he come over for coffee. The two of them did this about once a week; had one-on-one time. They'd meet for lunch or a walk or coffee. They'd become close friends over the years, to the point where she called him her 'substitute Peyton' and he called her his 'substitute Haley'.

"Hey Brooke," he said casually as he flopped down onto the couch next to where she was working, pinning the hem of a new dress.

"Don't be mad," she said quickly, taking her eyes off the mannequin in front of her and looking at him.

"Okay...?" he drawled out confusedly.

"Peyton's coming home," she said, avoiding eye contact.

Peyton. _Home_. Peyton. Coming home. His blood ran warmer just hearing her name.

"Home," he managed. "To visit?"

"Moving," she said with a skeptical glance.

She wasn't sure what he'd think of all of it. He hadn't outright admitted that he loved her, but he also hadn't been on a proper date, despite Brooke's attempts to set him up with everything from models to librarians. She'd found out from Peyton a month earlier that she was moving for good, and had, by request, held off on telling Nathan and Haley. Peyton had called them herself a week before she was set to leave L.A. They had all been happy, but had all been worried about Lucas' reaction.

"Moving," he mumbled. "When?"

"She's driving, so a little less than a week," she specified. She really wished she could read his mind.

"Okay," he said with a resolute nod.

"Okay?" she asked.

"Yes," he said with a slight laugh. "I appreciate the concern, but what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know," she said softly as she shrugged her shoulders. "I just thought you'd want to know, that's all."

"Well, thanks for the warning, but it'll be fine. I mean, it's been what, nearly 8 years since we've seen each other? Nothing to worry about," he assured Brooke.

And yet, inside his head, he was asking a million questions that he knew couldn't be asked. If he asked, they'd all know what he knew. They'd all know that he still had feelings for her. He didn't know why she was coming back, and he didn't really care. She would be there. And surely, if she was seeing someone, Brooke would have told him, right? If they were so worried about his reaction to her simply coming home, they certainly would have mentioned something.

And really, none of that mattered. Peyton was coming home. The one person who'd always read him better than anyone. She was coming home. If nothing else, maybe they could be friends. He'd take what he could get. He'd take whatever she could give.

Lucas left before Brooke could find the words to tell him the other bit of information that he probably deserved to know before Peyton returned to Tree Hill.

----

Peyton stood in front of the brown stucco house for the last time, smiling at the memories made there. The car was packed and she had music ready for each leg of the trip. She had snacks and drinks and changes of clothes. She had reservations in cities she'd be sleeping in along the way. She was ready to go, but she needed one last glance.

"Mom!"

She spun around to see the little girl waiting impatiently by the SUV, arms crossed just the way Brooke used to do when she was just this side of furious.

"Yes, Gracie. I'm coming," Peyton laughed. "Stop pouting and buckle in."

"I'm not pouting, I'm just bored," the girl corrected as she climbed into the vehicle.

"Okay." Peyton laughed again as she walked to the car, she buckled her own seat belt and looked to the 7 and a half year old in the back seat.

"Am I going to like Tree Hill?" she asked nervously, meeting Peyton's eyes in the rear view mirror.

"I think you will," Peyton said with a smile. "Ready?"

"Ready." Grace nodded her head and grinned in the rear view mirror.

"Okay. Let's roll."

They fought traffic getting out of the city, but as soon as they were on the open highway, it finally set in. It finally hit her.

She was going _home_.

----

It was early morning, and Peyton awoke to the shrill sound of her cell phone ringing next to her on the night stand. She was disoriented. She had no idea where she was for a moment, before remembering they were at a hotel in the middle of the country. The last thing she wanted to do was wake up, but she reached for the phone to stop it from waking the little girl sleeping in the next bed.

"Hello," she grumbled sleepily.

"Hi buddy. How goes the road trip?" Brooke's cheery voice rang out.

"Fine."

"Aren't you excited?" Brooke asked.

"Too early for excited," Peyton mumbled.

"Still not a morning person, huh? You'd think being a mom would change that," Brooke teased.

"Brooke," Peyton scolded. "What can I do for you?"

"Just wanted to make sure you're alright and on schedule," Brooke explained.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. We'll probably grab a bite and hit the road soon," the blonde said, sitting up in her bed and glancing over at the sleeping girl.

"Yeah, about that. I know that Nathan and Haley know that 'you' are now a 'we'," Brooke pointed out. "How are you going to explain that?"

"What do you mean?" Peyton asked, still oblivious and sleepy.

"I just mean, you've talked to Nathan and Haley and they know, but they don't know details. Don't you think you're going to have to face a lot of questions?" Brooke said delicately.

"It's okay. It's not like she's some big, scandalous secret, Brooke," Peyton laughed. "Maybe I should have said something earlier, but I know that if I had, Nate and Haley would have come to visit, and then...you know, Lucas would have known, and it just would have been too much. I was...kind of actually hoping you might be able to fill them in. Nathan and Haley."

"Peyton, I..." She didn't know what to say, but she didn't get to finish anyway. She did notice, however, that Peyton was implying that she wanted to tell Lucas on her own. That had to mean something, she thought.

"Please, Brooke," Peyton pleaded. She heard a sigh on the other end of the line and she knew that her best friend would do as she asked.

"And what about Lucas?" Brooke asked. Her voice took on the tone she reserved for when she wanted the latest gossip.

"What about him?" Peyton asked exasperatedly.

"Are you excited, scared, nervous, anxious, happy..."

"Yes. All of those," Peyton said softly. "Brooke, I have to wake Gracie. I'll call you later, okay?"

She just needed to hang up the phone before she let her mind get carried away. She wondered if anything would change when she saw him. That she was still in love with him after close to 8 years was...well, crazy. He could be with someone. He could be a totally different person than she remembered. She wondered if she'd love any version of Lucas Scott that existed. She was about to find out either way.

She looked over at the brown-haired little girl as she lay on her back, sprawled on the queen sized bed. She slowly crawled into the bed with her and started pressing kisses to the girl's face until she woke up and squirmed away.

"Mom," she groaned. "That's so gross."

"It's not gross! Kisses aren't gross," Peyton insisted, standing from the bed and pulling the covers off the tiny body.

"I'm trying to sleep!"

"No, you're getting up. We need food, then we have to get back on the road," Peyton instructed.

"Fine," Grace mumbled. "How many days till we get there?"

"Just today, then one more night in a hotel, then we should be there late tomorrow," Peyton explained as she grabbed clothes for both of them out of the suitcase and set them on the bed.

"And we can see aunt Brooke?" Grace asked excitedly, sitting up and taking her toothbrush from Peyton's outstretched hand.

"Yes, and we can see aunt Brooke," Peyton said, rolling her eyes. She was, however, possibly just as excited to see her best friend. "Brush those teeth well, okay? 60 seconds. No less."

"Yefh mawm," the girl muttered with the toothbrush in her mouth. Peyton just shook her head and laughed. Yes, her girl was really something.

And of course, she was afraid of the reactions of her friends when she returned to her hometown, but she knew everything would work out. What she'd said was true. Grace wasn't some big scandal. She was Peyton's little girl. She only hoped everyone would welcome the both of them as well as Brooke had been insisting.

As she pulled on her clothes for the day, she realized there wasn't much time until she found out, one way or the other.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the journey across the country was filled with bad singing in the car, stopping at any attraction they could, lots and lots of photos, and even more laughter. Peyton was thrilled that she could give Grace the experience of such a road trip. Sure, they could have flown and it would have been way faster, but they were in no rush, and Peyton had wanted to take the journey as well. How often does one get the chance to drive cross-country?

They rolled into Tree Hill at about 9:00 p.m. and headed straight for Brooke's house, where they'd be staying overnight before going to their new house and beginning to unpack. Peyton looked to the back seat as they pulled into Brooke's drive, and smiled when she saw Grace fast asleep. She didn't want to wake the girl, though she knew how excited she was to see her aunt Brooke.

Just as Peyton had stepped out of the car and began to stretch, Brooke flew out the front door and towards her best friend, putting smiles on both their faces.

"Hey buddy," Brooke said as she pulled Peyton into a hug. "Welcome home."

"Thanks, Brooke," Peyton said with a grin.

"She's out like a light, huh?" Brooke said, watching as Peyton opened the car door and unbuckled the sleeping child. "What can I grab?"

"Just the two suitcases. Everything else can stay," Peyton whispered as she pulled Grace into her arms and rested her against her shoulder.

"Let's get you two a good night's sleep," Brooke said, hoisting the suitcases from the car and starting towards the house.

She was happy beyond expression. Not only did she have her best friend, but she had the little girl she loved more than anything. As soon as she met Grace, she was smitten. At first, Grace had been shy, but that passed rather quickly, and the two could be found attached at the hip whenever Brooke would visit. Peyton would have complained, but she loved seeing her best friend interact with and care for her daughter.

Peyton and Brooke each kissed the girl's forehead after they tucked her into bed in one of Brooke's spare bedrooms, then went back down to the living room for tea and a chat.

"So," Brooke said with wide eyes.

"So what, Brooke?" Peyton asked with a laugh.

"So how does it feel? I mean, I know it's only been like, 20 minutes, but when I moved back it was just this overwhelming sense of..."

"Relief?" Peyton finished.

"Yeah," Brooke nodded. "Feels good, doesn't it."

"It really does." Peyton had felt it as soon as she saw that familiar sign for the town. Now weathered and faded, it still felt nostalgic. She felt at home.

"Are you going to make me beg for information?" Brooke asked urgently, setting her mug on the coffee table in front of them and turning to face Peyton.

"What are you talking about?" Peyton laughed.

"Lucas!"

"Oh God," Peyton groaned. She tried to ignore the rush she got just hearing his name. "Brooke, you and I talk three times a week. There is nothing for me to say about him that hasn't been said."

"Right," Brooke said, rolling her eyes. "Except now you're here and you have a little person to explain. Not to mention, you're both single and still pining over each other."

"Whatever. I mean...Wait. He's pining over me?" she asked.

"HA!" Brooke said, far too loudly. "I _knew_ you cared more than you let on."

"So you just said that to get me to admit it?" Peyton asked with a horrified look on her face.

"No, it's all true, but your reaction told me everything I need to know," Brooke explained, grinning smugly.

"Okay, fine. So I care what he thinks, and if he _has_ been talking about me, I want to know what he said. Happy?" Peyton said quickly.

"Thrilled!" Brooke admitted. Peyton raised her eyebrows, encouraging her friend to fill her in on what she knew. "Oh. Right. Well, he just said that he thinks about you a lot, and after the whole Lindsey fiasco, I think he finally realized that there's still a piece of his heart that belongs to you."

"You _think_ he realized it?"

"He's basically said that, in not so many words," Brooke shrugged.

"Okay, he either said it or he didn't," Peyton said with a huff. "I mean, we aren't teenagers anymore, Brooke. I can't just base whatever's going to happen on something that someone _thinks_ might be going on. I have Grace to think about and I just freaking got here, and..._God_, I'm talking fast."

"Breathe, Peyton," Brooke laughed, rubbing her friend's back soothingly. Both of them laughed at Lucas Scott's ability to turn the normally responsible, stoic Peyton Sawyer into a giggling teenager.

"I'm going to head to bed. I can't think about this anymore," she announced.

"That doesn't mean you _won't_ be thinking about it." Brooke laughed as she watched Peyton get up and head the the room that would be hers for the night.

"Goodnight, Brooke," Peyton said, rolling her eyes.

Brooke sat up for a few minutes, relishing the feeling of having a full house, even if just for the night. She thought of her two friends, knowing full well they both still had lingering feelings. Brooke, of course, knew more than she had let on, but she didn't want to betray Lucas' trust, just like she hadn't betrayed Peyton's. She told only what she needed to, but now that they were both going to be in the same town, she knew that things were about to get interesting.

If she was being honest, that town could use a little gossip and drama. Lucas and Peyton's relationship had always provided plenty.

----

Peyton woke up to the smell of bacon cooking and the sounds of a giggling best friend and 7 year old. She quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail and tugged a tee shirt over the tank top she had on before making her way out into the kitchen.

"Well, well," she said after just watching the two bubbly brunettes for a moment. She glanced at the plates set out and the two full mugs of coffee and one orange juice. There were eggs and bacon, toast, and an assortment of jams.

"Mom!" Grace yelled, jumping off the counter and running to hug Peyton. "We made breakfast!"

"I can see that," Peyton laughed. "I bet it's delicious."

"Let's find out," Brooke said, ushering them to the table. "Come on G. Sawyer, you're by me."

"G. Sawyer?" Peyton asked with a chuckle.

"It's her new nickname," Brooke shrugged, shooting a wink at her best friend.

"Yeah, mom," Grace said, rolling her eyes. "It's my new nickname."

"Okay," Peyton said, raising her hands in surrender.

There were a few minutes of comfortable silence as all three began to eat. The food really was exactly what Peyton needed after eating in diners and fast food joints for the past couple days. It was nice to have a decent cup of coffee. The company wasn't horrible either. She was just about to voice those thoughts when the door opened.

"Jeez, Brooke, that guy down the street with the lawnmower is...," Haley started rambling before she caught sight of Peyton. "You're here!"

"Haley!" Peyton shouted, shooting up out of her seat to hug her old friend.

Grace noticed the stranger, and recoiled a bit, moving closer to Brooke, who rubbed her back comfortingly.

"I can't believe you're finally moving home," Haley said genuinely. She caught sight of the little girl next to Brooke, and smiled at Peyton. "And you must be Grace."

"Grace, this is Haley. Remember I told you about her?" Peyton said softly as she and Haley took their places at the table. Grace nodded.

"Hi," Haley said with a soothing smile.

"Hi Haley," she said sweetly. Haley's heart melted at the sound. She ached to have a little girl of her own.

"Well, what does a girl have to do to get a piece of toast with some strawberry jam?" Haley joked, making all of them smile. Brooke got up to grab a plate and doled out a serving for their new guest. "You know, Grace, my son is almost the same age as you."

"Really?" Grace asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, and he can't wait to meet his aunt Peyton's little girl," Haley said, smiling at the girl she could already tell she was going to love.

They ate and had a conversation that held laughter and teasing and jokes and the giggles of a 7 year old girl. Grace had run upstairs to put on the clothes Brooke had chosen for her, and the three friends took the chance to let it sink in that this would be a common thing - the three of them sitting and chatting. It felt right that they were all in the same place again. Peyton was a vital part of their group, and when she had left, things changed, though no one wanted to admit that. Now that she was back, it felt like things were returning to normal.

"Peyton," Haley said softly. "She's amazing."

"Thanks," Peyton said with a smile.

"I kind of can't believe that in all the times we've spoken, you never said a word!" Haley said, shoving the blonde playfully.

"It was just so complicated," Peyton explained. "It took me - both of us, really - a long time to adjust."

"I understand. I just wish we knew her better, you know? But, I guess we have lots of time for that," Haley said with a genuine smile. "Okay. I really hate to eat and run, but if I don't go take Jamie off Nathan's hands, I'm going to be in trouble."

"Tell Nathan I can't wait to see him," Peyton requested as Haley made her way to the door.

"Oh! That reminds me. We're having a barbecue slash welcome back to Tree Hill gathering this Saturday," she informed both the women standing in the kitchen. "I'll fill you in on details later. Bye!"

"Same old HJS, huh?" Peyton laughed, turning to look at Brooke who was smiling. Then Peyton noticed the tear pooling her best friend's eye. "Brooke..."

"It's nothing," she insisted, waving her hand in front of her face dismissively. "I just missed this, that's all."

"Oh, Brooke, you big baby," Peyton laughed, pulling her friend into a tight hug. The little footsteps coming down the stairs made them pull apart.

"Mom, can we go to the new house now?" Grace asked excitedly.

"Soon. I'm going to have a shower and get dressed, then we will. And we'll set up your room first," Peyton explained, smiling at her daughter's enthusiasm.

Yes, it was good to be home. To be able to eat breakfast with her oldest friends and chat about people who knew her before Grace and before L.A. It felt normal and comfortable.

It felt like it was exactly what she needed.

----

The Sawyer girls stood in front of their new house, with the key in Peyton's hand, ready to unlock the door and get started on the insane amounts of unpacking they had to do.

"Ready?" Peyton asked Grace. She got a single, emphatic nod in response.

They ran up the steps and unlocked the door as quickly as possible. The two of them stood in the foyer and looked around. Their furniture and all their belongings had been delivered the day before, and it already felt like a home to Peyton. She looked down and saw the smile on her Grace's face, and she knew they were going to be happy there.

"So? Let's get started on that room of yours," she said happily, laughing as Grace started to run up the stairs to find the room she'd been shown only in photographs.

They spent the rest of their morning and part of their afternoon setting up Grace's bed and furniture, and unpacking a few of the items the girl said she couldn't live without. There were photos of Grace and Peyton, and Grace and Brooke, then one of all three of them. They had just filled her dresser with her clothes, all in the proper drawers, when Grace informed Peyton that she needed fresh air. Peyton just laughed at how grown up the girl sounded sometimes, and suggested they take a walk to explore the town a little bit.

----

They sat in a park in the middle of town, right next to the boardwalk. Peyton had stopped for coffee, and gotten a bottle of juice for Grace, which the girl was not interested in in the slightest. They had found a bench and Peyton grabbed her sketch pad from her bag. She carried one around for times like this when inspiration would hit her and she knew she had to capture the moment and transfer it to canvas later on.

Grace was a busybody. She reminded Peyton of a young Brooke - always up to something and on the go. It almost hurt her to sit still. She always had a project she was working on or an idea she was hatching. She made forts the size of their entire living room, and insisted on rearranging the furniture in her bedroom at least once every few months. She loved change. When Peyton first broached the idea of moving, Grace had wanted to pack immediately, and hadn't exactly understood why they couldn't leave right away. She wanted to make new friends and see new things. When they sat down to map out the route to drive, Peyton had asked what she wanted to see, and Grace had replied, _'I want to see everything.' _She was full of life, and Peyton wouldn't dare put that fire out. She knew it was what would save the girl later on, when things started getting harder and harder.

"Mom, if you're going to sit here and draw, I'm going to play," Grace said, with attitude that normally Peyton would scold her for.

"Well, I am. So go on, you goof," Peyton laughed, swatting the girl's bottom with her sketch book before she ran away laughing towards the swings.

----

Lucas had seen her walk out of the coffee shop. His heart raced. She was even more gorgeous than ever. She wore a lightweight green cotton summer dress and her long hair was swept up into a pony tail. Long gone were the curls he'd loved so much, but her new, more grown up look was making his blood run warm. She was a woman, no longer merely the teenager he'd fallen in love with once upon a time.

Then he saw her take the hand of the little girl who came out of the shop after her.

He watched them walking and followed them to the park. He noticed how she interacted with the brown haired girl, and his mind went off in a million different directions. He hadn't expected this. A daughter. It was crystal clear that Peyton was that girl's mother; he could tell by the way they looked at each other. He did the math quickly in his head, figuring the girl was 7 or 8. How was that possible? Brooke had to have known. Why hadn't she said anything?

Before he knew it, his feet were carrying him towards the bench where Peyton sat. He could tell right away that she was sketching, and he loved to know that she was still as artistic as ever. He sat down next to her, and she looked over immediately. Her leg was curled up beneath her and she was partially facing him anyway. He didn't meet her gaze; his eyes were locked on the girl as she happily pumped her legs and swung away on the swings.

He looked good. He had a scruff on his jawline just like she'd always told him she loved. His hair was styled nicely and he wore a blue plaid button down shirt with his jeans. He had on a necklace with a silver medallion that she recognized vaguely. She noticed a tattoo of a cross on the inside of his wrist. Her mind briefly wandered to where else he might have tattoos.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi." He finally looked over to her. She noticed who his eyes had been fixed on and knew where this conversation was going to go. "You're a mom," he pointed out.

"Um..."

"How old is she?" He figured that was the most subtle way to ask, but it still felt crass and insensitive.

"She's 7 and a half," Peyton said, looking at the girl as she scurried away from the swings towards the monkey bars. She was smiling like she always did when she spoke of Grace. She looked back over to Lucas and saw the expression on his face.

"Is she..."

"Oh! No. No...no. No. She's not," she said quickly. "I wouldn't do that to you, Lucas."

"What?" he asked absently, refocusing his attention on her.

"You know me better than to think that I'd keep your child from you," she admitted softly. She feared she'd said too much. They'd barely exchanged pleasantries and she was already talking about how well he knew her. "I wouldn't do that."

He wasn't sure if it was sadness, relief or disappointment he felt. Peyton had a child. She must have met someone right after they'd broken up. That would explain why she never showed up to his book signing, even though she had said she would. Or...she had cheated on him. He just couldn't see her doing that though. She wouldn't.

"Oh God!" she said, looking at him again. She could see the wheels turning in his head, drawing conclusions of his own. "Whatever you're thinking, no. Just..._No_." He finally looked over at her. Her eyes were like emeralds. How they'd gotten more green over time was a mystery to him. But they did nothing to ease his confusion. "I didn't...I mean, she's not mine uh...biologically," she explained.

"You're kinda running out of options," he half-joked, making her laugh. He was reminded how her entire face lit up when she smiled.

"It's a long story," she warned.

"I've got time," he said, turning towards her. He smiled in that way that put her at ease immediately. She and Haley used to call it the Scott Smirk, and joke that it could heal all wounds. The men had both also learned how to use it to get out of trouble or get what they wanted.

"I um...I volunteered at a community center in L.A. teaching art to little kids. She was one of my students," she said, looking back towards where Grace was playing. "She was always at the center. She was only four but she was always there, so I got to know her pretty well over time. She always seemed pretty sad, but she'd always cheer up when I was with her, so I didn't really know what to think. I got there one day and she wasn't there, which was weird."

He listened intently as she told the story. He didn't want to interrupt, knowing this was something she probably didn't tell many people. He could tell by the concern in her voice as she relived the events, just how much she loved that little girl.

"I got a call in the middle of the night saying her parents had been arrested. It was some drug deal gone bad. She wouldn't talk to anyone but me," she explained. She looked into his eyes and saw the comfort they had always held, encouraging her to continue. "It as the middle of January and I got to the police station and she didn't even have a sweater. She was just in a tee shirt."

"Peyton," he whispered, noticing the tear pooling in her eye. She didn't love to retell this story. It hurt her too much to think about everything.

"It's okay," she said with a weak smile, brushing her cheek with the back of her index finger. "She finally told me everything that she wouldn't tell anyone else. It was bad, Luke."

"Hey," he said, rubbing her arm comfortingly with his hand. He didn't know why she was opening up to him, and he didn't know why he was so insistent on making her feel at ease. Probably something about that love he was still convinced was there. "It's alright."

"So child services was going to put her into a foster home, and I just...I couldn't let them do that. As soon as they tried to take her from the room we were in, she started screaming. So after a lot of convincing and paperwork and legal jargon, I fostered her."

"That's...amazing," he said softly. He always knew that Peyton had a ton of love to give, but this was beyond anything he'd imagined. She'd saved this little girl's life.

"I contacted a lawyer and we talked to her parents. They agreed that she was better off with me than anyone else, so they agreed to let me adopt her. They gave up all rights. Closed adoption," she said with a smile. "She's been mine for just over 3 years."

He could only shake his head in awe. He didn't know where she got the strength. A young woman, alone in a city away from home, adopting a little girl to keep her from harm. Simply incredible.

"I don't know what to say. You're...that's amazing," he repeated.

"I guess," she shrugged.

"Peyton," he admonished. How could she not see how wonderful this was?

"She took a while to be able to trust anyone other than me, but she's getting better as she gets older. She loves Brooke," Peyton laughed, quickly taking the focus off herself.

"I bet she's spoiled," he said with a smirk. "By you _and_ Brooke."

"Guilty," she said, blushing as she looked down to her sketch pad. She was 27 years old, and she was blushing in the presence of a boy.

But in the back of her mind, she knew that Lucas wasn't just any boy.

"What's her name?" he asked, looking back at the girl. She was now just laying on the grass looking up at the clouds.

"Gracie. Grace Amelia Sawyer," Peyton said, smirking as she saw her laying like the two of them used to in the back yard of their old house, and like she knew they would at their new one.

"It's beautiful. She's beautiful," he smiled. _You're beautiful_, he thought.

"You want to meet her?" she asked, sensing he was already itching to get to know the most important person in her life.

"I'd love to," he said, his blue eyes twinkling in anticipation.

"Gracie!" Peyton called, waving the girl over. "Come here a sec."

The girl stood and walked over to where the two were sitting. She was timid, noticing there was a new person there, and went to Peyton's side immediately.

"Grace, this is an old friend of mine, Lucas," Peyton explained.

"The same Lucas you and aunt Brooke talk about all the time?" Grace asked innocently. Lucas couldn't help but chuckle, noticing how red Peyton's cheeks were getting.

"Not all the time," she corrected. "But yes."

"Hi Grace," he said, smiling at the girl who he could already tell was a little ball buster.

"Hi Lucas," she said quietly, extending her hand to him. He looked at Peyton momentarily before taking Grace's little hand in his and shaking it gently. "Mom, can I go play more?"

"Of course. We should go soon, though, okay? We have to finish your room," Peyton explained.

"Okay!" Grace yelled as she ran back towards the playground.

"She kept seeing me shake hands with buyers and now she shakes everyone's hand when she meets new people," Peyton said, laughing nervously.

"Buyers?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Oh. Yeah," she said, looking back down at her sketch. "I got out of the music business. I'm a painter now." She was a little surprised that Brooke or Nathan and Haley hadn't filled him in that, but she was thankful to have work to talk about with him at that moment.

"A painter with buyers," he corrected. "That's great."

"Whatever, Mr. Three Published Novels," she teased, shoving him playfully as he laughed.

"Guess we've both made something of ourselves, haven't we?" he said seriously.

"Guess so," she agreed with a smile.

They fell into a comfortable silence, watching Grace as she ran and played.

"So," he said after a few minutes. "Talking about me all the time, huh?"

"Oh God," she groaned, putting her face in her hands. Only one boy - now man - had ever made her feel this way. Girly and bashful and nervous. "It's not _all_ the time."

He just laughed as her cheeks turned pink again. He had so many things he wanted to say to her. So many things he wanted to ask her about their past. But he knew that it was not the time, and he wondered if there would ever be a right time. They had fallen back into what seemed like an easy rapport in record time, and he didn't want to ruin that. She'd only been in town barely a day, and this was the first time he'd seen her in nearly eight years. Surely, they had lots of time to work things out. He took the fact that she'd talked about him at all as a good sign.

His phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out quickly, to see his brother's name flash across the screen.

"Shit," he muttered. "I'm like...a half hour late to meet Nathan."

"Just tell him you met a couple hot girls in the park," she joked. "He'll understand."

"He probably would," he said laughingly. "Listen, do they know about Grace?"

"Yeah. Haley met her this morning. Brooke filled them in on the details," she explained. "It's not the easiest story for me to retell."

"Thank you," he said genuinely. "For telling me."

"I hadn't really imagined the first time we met again would involve me breaking down in front of you," she said with a laugh.

But there was a reason she hadn't asked Brooke to tell Lucas. She didn't know why, but she felt, somehow, like she owed it to him to hear the story from her. She had no idea why that was, and she didn't want to question it. She'd stopped questioning anything to do with Lucas ages ago. There was no precedent with them; no rules to follow. They just did things the way they did them, and that was that.

Lucas was about to ask what she had imagined, when they saw Grace stalking towards them with a scowl on her face.

"Uh oh," Peyton said with a smile. Lucas just smirked at how well she knew her little girl.

"I hate grass stains!" Grace shouted, pointing to her knee.

"Don't say hate," Peyton reprimanded. "It's okay, baby. I can get it out."

"That boy pushed me," she pouted, crossing her arms.

"What boy?" Lucas asked, already taking on the role of protector. He wasn't sure what it was with him and women with the last name Sawyer. Peyton smiled briefly at his concern, but stopped at her daughter's next words.

"That stupid one," Grace muttered, jerking her head in the direction of the playground.

"Grace Amelia!" Peyton scolded. Seeing her caring for, or disciplining in this case, a child was somehow the most attractive thing Lucas had ever seen her do.

Well, almost the most attractive thing he'd ever seen her do.

"Sorry mom," she said softly. "Can we go home. I need to change."

"Wow," Lucas started with a laugh. "She _is_ like Brooke."

"I love my aunt Brooke," Grace stated proudly.

"We all love your aunt Brooke," Peyton said, running her hand over Grace's hair.

Lucas' phone rang again, and he held it up to show Peyton that Nathan was calling.

"Nathan," Grace read. "Like Nathan that I get to meet soon?"

"Yes, Gracie. That's Luke's brother," Peyton explained as both adults stood from the bench.

"Oh. Cool," Grace said.

"I should go. I'll see you soon, though, right? Barbecue at Nathan and Haley's on Saturday?" Lucas asked.

"We'll be there," Peyton smiled, taking Grace's hand in hers.

"Mom, why don't you get Lucas to help us unpack stuff, too? Then it'll be done fast," Grace said, looking up at Peyton.

"Honey," Peyton said with a nervous laugh. "We have Nathan and Brooke and Haley."

"Peyt, I can help," Lucas insisted, lazily shrugging his shoulder. "I don't mind."

"Well, I'll call you if we need you," Peyton said hesitantly.

She wondered why Grace was so trusting of Lucas so quickly. It usually took her longer to warm up to people. She also wondered if her daughter might have been playing matchmaker at her aunt Brooke's encouragement. She'd have to ask Brooke about that later.

"Promise?"

"I promise!" Peyton assured him. "Now go meet Nathan before you get yourself into even more trouble!"

"Alright," he said, laughing as he started walking away. Once he was about 10 feet away, he turned around and rushed back to them, taking Peyton in his arms and whispering into her ear. "It's really good to have you back."

She was left almost breathless by his embrace. He held her tightly, and his hand held the back of her neck, just like he always used to, and she was overcome with a rush of nostalgia. She was starting to get the impression that would be happening often.

"Thanks," she said softly, staring into his eyes as he pulled away. He winked and turned to leave again, leaving Peyton and Grace standing there. Peyton couldn't move. And that wink nearly stopped her heart.

"I like him," Grace said as they started to walk in the opposite direction as Luke.

"Yeah?" Peyton looked down at her daughter, and Grace met her gaze.

"He's nice. His eyes are _really_ blue," she said innocently.

"Yes, they are," Peyton laughed. She'd always been completely captivated by his eyes, and it seemed her daughter was, too.

Her brief encounter with him left her wanting more. A lot more. She wanted to know everything about his life in the years since they'd been apart. She wanted to ask him why he'd left her and why he'd invited her to his signing if he was with someone else. More than anything, she wanted to ask him what had put that bit of dull sadness in his eyes. She knew that no one else probably noticed, but she did. And she wanted to take it all away. She wanted to ask about that cross tattoo and his books and his coaching.

She wanted to _know_ him again. Maybe the craziest thing was that she honestly felt like she _would_ know him again.


	3. Chapter 3

Peyton spent the rest of the week going through the boxes in her house room by room. After Grace's room was finished, she set up the bare necessities in her own room - she'd do the rest later. The next day, the two of them organized the kitchen, unpacking and washing their dishes as they listened to music and sang along. Brooke, Haley, Nathan and Jamie came over to help, which had the kids running around outside and the adults inside, moving furniture, unpacking boxes, and catching up on the time they'd spent apart.

Grace and Jamie became fast friends. Of course, seven and eight year olds don't realize that they have next to nothing in common, they just like to run and play and joke, and that's enough for them. Peyton mused that they were like a young Lucas and Haley.

"She's a good kid, Sawyer," Nathan said, draping his arm around Peyton's shoulder as they stood on the back porch, watching Jamie and Grace play two-person tag.

"I kinda like her," Peyton joked.

"You know I'm pissed that you didn't tell me though, right?"

She pulled away a little bit and shook her head. "Nathan..."

"I mean, I get it, you know? With the circumstances, but...you know that Haley and I are here for you. We would have been," he said seriously.

"I know. But...It was hard," she said quietly, shrugging her shoulder.

"For Grace?" he asked. He knew, since Brooke had told him, all about Grace's past and reluctance to accept new people. That reluctance was clearly non-existent now.

"Yeah. And for me," she admitted. "Who was I to be anyone's mother, Nathan?" He laughed and shook his head. "It was just...easier if I stayed away for a while, you know? To figure out what the hell I was doing."

"You're a natural," he said. He smirked at her and she smiled back, and Jamie's yelps after Grace tackled him to the ground stole Nathan and Peyton's attention, watching as the kids started laughing with one another.

She knew he didn't understand completely, but his statement was something like acceptance of her way of doing things. Brooke had questioned her often over the years, insisting that everyone in Tree Hill would help her no matter what, but there was a part of her, that stubborn part of her, that didn't want the handout. She wanted to do things on her own, and she didn't want to owe anyone any favours. Not to mention the fact that she had a client base, and Grace had school. It just never seemed like the time.

Now was the time. And it felt damn good to be home.

----

She worked until late in the evening that Friday before remembering they had to attend the barbecue the next day. She was exhausted. Between the heat and moving and trying to settle Grace in the town and show her around, she was completely beat. She fell asleep as soon as she hit the pillow, wearing just a faded old Ravens tee shirt that she stole from Nathan once upon a time.

When she woke, she rolled over to see a mess of brown hair laying on the pillow next to hers. She smiled at the sleeping girl. Well, the girl she thought was sleeping.

"I know you're awake," Grace said, as though she could not be fooled.

"I am," Peyton muttered. She still wasn't a morning person, as Brooke had pointed out.

"Come on!" Grace said excitedly, sitting up and looking down at her mom. "We are going to Jamie's today and I get to swim and stuff."

"You have far too much energy," Peyton complained as she suppressed a smile.

"It's gonna be so fun," Grace mused, laying back down in her mother's arms like they used to do each Sunday morning. Peyton was aware this was a Saturday, but she wasn't going to complain.

"Yes it is," Peyton said with a smile she knew her daughter wouldn't be able to see.

All she could think about was seeing Lucas again. She'd only seen him once since that day in the park, when she saw him walking into Brooke's store as she drove past. She had been thinking about their meeting since it happened, and she felt completely foolish for breaking down in front of him. She knew he deserved to know the truth about Grace, of course, and she'd just assumed that she'd be able to tell the story without tears after all this time. But she loved that little girl with everything in her, and the thought and memory of her past was enough to hurt her heart. She knew Lucas would understand that, but she still couldn't help feeling like she should have held it together. Like she had said to him, she hadn't expected their first meeting to go that way.

The two of them lay there like that, talking about what to expect that day, for quite a while. Peyton explained that there would be some people there that Grace hadn't met yet, but they were all good people who Peyton knew very well, and that she had nothing to worry about. Grace had accepted that everyone she had met in Tree Hill had been nice, and Jamie had told her all about Skills and Mouth and the rest of the guys she was about to meet.

There was a knock at the door just as Peyton was getting out of bed, and so the two of them walked downstairs together. Peyton told Grace to head into the kitchen and wait for her to come and serve her some breakfast.

She answered the door not expecting to see the one person who'd consumed her thoughts nearly all week (though she hadn't admitted that fact to anyone else). She briefly forgot that she was only in a tee shirt and sleep shorts, but when his eyes passed over her, she felt suddenly self conscious.

"Hi," she said in surprise.

"Hey," he mumbled, still unabashedly taking in her appearance. Something about her standing there with his team's logo emblazoned on her chest was causing him to completely forget why he was even there.

"What's up?" she asked. She realized he was still standing on the porch, then pulled herself from her daze. "Sorry. Come on in."

"Looks good in here," he said, looking around the foyer and living room. "This place is great."

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Mom! Can I have Cap'n Crunch?" Grace yelled from the kitchen.

Peyton shot Lucas a look and smiled. "Duty calls."

He laughed before following her into the kitchen, noticing Grace in a pink sleep shirt with little ice cream cones on it. He assumed it would have been bought for her by Brooke, since there was no way Peyton would buy anything pink.

"Hey Lucas!" she said happily.

"Hey Grace. Excited for today?" he asked, taking the seat next to her at the counter.

"Yes! I haven't swimmed in days!"

The girl was a beach bum through and through, since the first time she put her toes in the ocean. Peyton tried to take her to the beach or the local pool as much as possible when they'd lived in L.A., but that was the one thing they had yet to do since returning to Tree Hill.

"Swam, baby," Peyton corrected with a laugh.

She was pouring milk over the cereal as she grabbed a spoon from the drawer and kicked shut the cabinet where the cereal had been kept. Lucas was more than impressed with her multitasking, and he grinned at her as she set the bowl in front of her daughter.

"You want anything?" she asked as she started making coffee. "Cap'n Crunch? Fruit Loops? Chocolate milk?"

"I'm alright, thanks," he laughed.

"Well, I need a coffee, so you're having one," she insisted, making him roll his eyes, but nod his approval.

"Coffee is gross," Grace said with a mouthful of cereal.

"Grace, please," Peyton said disgustedly. "Manners."

Watching Peyton interact with Grace gave him a smile that was born out of complete awe and admiration. She was a wonderful mom, he could tell already. She was fun and attentive, but she stepped in when she needed to. It was clear the girl was a spitfire, and Peyton would let her do as she pleased, well within reason. She reminded him of his mom when he was growing up.

"So what brings you by?" Peyton asked, as she pulled two light green mugs from the cupboard. He watched as she poured just one sugar into his cup, just the way he'd always taken it. How she'd remembered that detail was beyond him.

"Nathan said you needed something moved last night but he couldn't come over and do it, and since you're obviously too stubborn to just call me, I thought I'd drop in unannounced and you wouldn't be able to say no," he said with a knowing grin. He saw her roll her eyes and shake her head slightly, and he had to laugh.

"Well, yes, actually," she finally said. "I could use a little help."

"Not so hard to admit, is it, Peyt," he teased.

"Mom, maybe he's not strong enough," Grace pointed out with childlike concern. "Nathan's bigger than him."

Lucas' jaw dropped as Peyton laughed at the statement. The girl sure knew how to break the tension in a room, that much was true.

"I think he can manage," Peyton said, throwing Lucas an apologetic look. She smiled at him as she handed him his coffee. "Well, it's this storage thing in my office."

"Lead the way," he said, standing from his seat. He followed her to a small, bright room at the end of the hall. He tried not to be too nosey, but he glanced into the other rooms as they passed.

"I'd give you the tour, but the place isn't much to look at right now," she explained. "It's like no matter how much I unpack, there's still the same amount of boxes somehow."

"Jeez, Peyton. This thing is huge," he said with wide eyes as he took in the floor to ceiling shelving that was in the middle of the room. "Maybe we _do_ need Nathan."

"Oh come on, Scott. Let's see what you're made of," she chided, moving to one end of the piece of furniture and waiting for him to take his place.

Between the two of them, they managed to move the shelf against the wall exactly where she wanted it.

"I think I need a nap now," he joked.

"Thanks for helping," she said sincerely.

"No problem," he said. "I just wish I didn't have to ambush you to do it."

She wanted to tell him that all she had wanted to do for the past three days was call him and hear his voice, or bump into him and stare into those eyes of his and hear him laugh or see that smirk. But she couldn't possibly say those words.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. He noticed her eyes soften and he could see the sincerity in them.

"It's okay," he insisted.

"Not really," she laughed. "I just know it's crazy that I'm back, and I have Gracie. You and I haven't talked in forever...I just didn't know how this was going to work."

"So I guess my stopping by without warning probably didn't fit into your vision," he said. It wasn't meant to be spiteful or bitter, but he couldn't disguise the disappointment.

"Luke..."

"It's alright, Peyton. I'll see you this afternoon," he said before walking out of the room.

She was left standing there, wondering how the simple admission that she wasn't sure how she was supposed to act around him had made his demeanor change so suddenly. She heard him talking and laughing with Grace, and he promised her he'd go swimming with her later on. Then she heard the front door close.

How had she messed everything up so quickly?

----

Peyton and Grace were among the first people to arrive at Nathan and Haley's place for the party, though Haley was refusing to call it one. She referred to it as a 'gathering'.

Brooke was already there, as were Skills and Mouth. Peyton stepped into the house, carrying a bag that held a change of clothes for Grace, a towel, and sunblock. She'd learned quickly that as a mom, you are always carrying a bag filled with things 'just in case'. She'd also, upon Haley's request, brought a dessert. She'd refused to bake with the threat of a summer heat wave looming, so she'd made a no-bake cheesecake. Nathan had teased her relentlessly about her cooking skills, but he wasn't aware that she had actually come a long way from the 16 year old whose specialty was frozen pizza and cookie dough from a tube.

"Hey!" Haley greeted, taking the cake in her hands. "Wow. This looks amazing!"

"Thanks," Peyton said happily, sticking her tongue out childishly in Nathan's direction.

"Grace, sweetie, Jamie's in the play room just down the hall. Why don't you go get him and tell him to come say hi to everyone?" Haley explained.

"Okay!" She said, turning to run down the hall.

"Wait just one second, missy," Brooke scolded before kneeling down. Grace went running back to her and wrapped her little arms around her aunt.

"Hi Brooke. I'm wearing the bathing suit you got me!"

"You are?" Brooke asked with wide eyes. "I bet it looks awesome."

"Probably," Grace said with a shrug, clearly not aware of just how that sounded. All the adults laughed at the statement as the girl went off down the hall.

"Peyton Sawyer," Skills drawled out, pulling her in for a hug. "Bein' a mom looks good on you, baby."

"You do realize I didn't actually give birth," she said with a laugh.

"I know," he shrugged. "You still look good tough."

"Well thanks," she smiled. "Mr. McFadden."

"It's still Mouth to you guys," he laughed. She wrapped her arms around him. Wow, it was good to be home.

"Whatever! You're working in broadcast television. That just commands respect," she teased, swatting him playfully.

"Mom! Jamie has a Wii," Grace said, putting her hands on her hips. She'd been asking for one for months, but Peyton had yet to give in, despite moments like this when the girl all but begged.

"He does?" Peyton asked.

"Yes. And he says it's the funnest thing ever," Grace explained. Jamie nodded his assurance.

"Well, that's great. Now you can come over here and play and we don't need one at our house," Peyton said with a grin, making everyone but her daughter snicker.

"Good parenting, Sawyer," Nathan teased, earning him a glare.

"Grace, come meet Skills and Mouth," Peyton said, pulling Grace over to stand in front of her. "These are some more of my friends from high school."

"Hey shortie," Skills said, extending his fist so she could bump hers against it just like Jamie had shown her.

"Hi Grace," Mouth added.

"Your names are _Skills_ and _Mouth_?" she asked in awe, and they both nodded. "That's awesome."

"Go play Wii," Peyton laughed, sending both children back down the hall laughing.

"Well, we _are_ pretty awesome," Mouth mused, looking over to Skills who nodded emphatically.

Peyton mixed a pitcher of mojitos using her secret recipe, and handed the girls each a glass while the men sipped their beers. They all stood around the kitchen and chatted as more and more people started showing up. Millicent came, then Deb. Junk and Fergie were next. One person was noticeably absent, making Peyton worry even more about their earlier conversation at her house.

Skills was in the middle of telling a joke that certainly couldn't be told around the children, when Peyton felt a presence walk in the room behind her.

"Sorry I'm late," he called out. "I was writing and lost track of time."

He walked past Peyton without a second glance and kissed each of the other woman on the cheek and shook each guy's hand. He pulled a beer from the fridge and stood across the room from her, offering only a silent nod as a greeting.

"I'll go get the kids. They should probably get some air," Peyton said with a smile that she knew only one person in the room would recognize was fake.

She wandered down the hall, cursing herself for feeling like she'd needed to give them time before they could be friends. But why was he acting like this, she wondered. It wasn't as though she was ignoring him - like he'd just done to her - she had just not sought him out. She should have known it would be this hard to be around him again.

"What the hell, Luke?" Nathan scolded quietly as the crowd chatted around them.

"What?" Lucas asked obliviously.

"_What_?" Nathan scoffed. "You can't brush her off, man. That was harsh."

Lucas took and audible breath and let it out slowly. He knew his brother was right. "I'll talk to her," he conceded.

"Good. Try not to be a dick," Nathan whispered quickly, as he saw the kids and Peyton walking back into the room.

"Who wants to swim!?" Lucas asked enthusiastically, looking directly at Grace with a wide smile.

Before they'd even given an answer, both Jamie and Grace were running towards the door. The rest of the group laughed as Lucas took off out the door after them, pulling his shirt off in the process, leaving him in just his shorts. The rest of them then migrated outside just in time to see the three of them do synchronized cannonballs into the pool. Peyton smiled as she watched Lucas pick up Grace and toss her, squealing, across the pool.

"She likes him, huh?" Brooke asked, noticing Peyton watching Lucas and her daughter interact.

"Yeah, she does," Peyton said softly, almost as though she didn't want to admit it. The two of them sat down on the step, separating themselves slightly from the group.

"So what was with the cold shoulder earlier?" Brooke asked, clearly digging for the latest gossip.

"Oh, I guess he's mad that I haven't called him or something," Peyton said, trying to downplay the situation.

"Well, why haven't you?" Brooke asked before taking another sip of her drink.

"I just got here! I've been unpacking and trying to turn a house into a home, all while caring for a child under the age of 10. Forgive me if reconciling with Lucas isn't on the top of my list of priorities!" she explained defensively. Too defensively, Brooke recognized.

"Okay, whoa," Brooke laughed. "Why do I get the feeling that all the things you just dumped on me are all the things you wish you could say to him?" Peyton rolled her eyes, but before she could speak again, Brooke continued. "And by the way, I know that Grace is always number one on that priority list, but Lucas is easily number two. He's third at least."

"Does everyone think that I was just going to come back and Lucas and I would miraculously get back together after eight years, a botched proposal, two long term relationships, one of which almost turned into a marriage?" Peyton ranted. "I mean, God, Brooke, our lives are so completely different that it's like, impossible for us to even consider anything."

"Too bad you already have," Brooke muttered, earning her a cold glare. She cocked her eyebrow and continued. "Peyton, no one expected anything. We just all know the two of you. So please, finish that drink, smooth out your pretty top, and go talk to the boy you like."

"He's all wet," Peyton pointed out, gazing over to where he was standing, shirtless and glistening and dripping water all over the deck while Haley grabbed him a towel. She wasn't sure exactly what made her say it, but she had voiced the observation.

"Please," Brooke scoffed as she watched the subject of their conversation. "That should be _en_couraging, not _dis_couraging. If you don't talk to him, I might."

"Brooke!" Peyton laughed.

"Joke! It's been 10 years, you'd think we could laugh about the so-called love triangle from hell," Brooke explained.

Peyton shook her head, drained her glass, took a deep breath and stood to walk into the house, where she knew Lucas would be heading.

Haley took Peyton's place next to Brooke and watched as Lucas walked through the door Peyton had gone into a few minutes before.

"Already?" Haley asked with a chuckle.

"More like always," Brooke laughed. "I swear, those two just need to stop trying _not_ to be together. I think we'd all be just a little better off."

Haley could only laugh, thinking no truer words had ever been spoken.

----

"Hey," Lucas said as he walked into the living room and saw Peyton standing there alone, looking at the photos on the wall.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she spun around to see him standing there. He had the towel draped over his shoulders, but other than that, she was painfully aware that he was just wearing his swim shorts.

"I'm sorry." They both said the words at the same time, with virtually the same tone, putting smiles on both their faces.

"I am," she said before he could say another word. "I shouldn't have been afraid to ask for help."

"Ah, but Peyton Sawyer's always been a little too stubborn for her own good," he teased.

"Yeah, but I promised I'd call if I needed anything," she said quietly, recalling the day in the park earlier that week.

"It's okay. I was just feeling left out or...something," he said before realizing just how pathetic that made him sound.

"I want us to be friends, Luke," she explained, squaring her shoulders to him. She watched a drop of water slide from his temple and she wanted nothing more than to reach out and wipe it away.

_Friends_. The word stung him more than it should have. He should have known there was no way she'd feel the same as him, not after all that time.

"Yeah," he muttered. "We can be."

"Good," she smiled. All she wanted was to tell him that she still had feelings for him. Still, after all this time, there was a place for him in her heart if he wanted to take it.

She turned back to the photos on the mantle and noticed one she didn't even know she'd been a part of. They were in the gym at the high school, sitting on the bleachers in basketball and cheerleading uniforms. Lucas and Nathan were in the centre of the photo, sitting side by side. Nathan was talking to Peyton as she sat next to him, and Lucas and Haley were carrying on their own conversation. They were all smiling and happy. She couldn't even remember that moment, let alone that someone had been there to take a photo of it.

"That's a throwback," he pointed out as they both looked at the younger versions of themselves.

"To the very beginning," she said softly. He looked at her questioningly. "You and Haley, me and Nathan."

"Right," he muttered, looking back at the photo. "You think we can get there again?"

He asked the question knowing that at the time this photo was taken, they were just beginning their relationship. The epic love story. The love of his life that he never let go. She wondered why he'd ask that and if he meant it the way it sounded. They had barely had two conversations since she returned, so why would he?

"You and Haley as total dorks and me dating Nathan who treated me like dirt?" she teased. "I hope not."

"Not that far back," he said after his laughing subsided.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see," she said softly, looking into his eyes.

She was flirting. It had been a long time since she'd done it. Too long, if you were to ask Brooke. The truth was, it was almost immediately after the Julian fiasco that Peyton adopted Grace, and since then, there had been no one. Not even a single date. For a while, she'd just said that she was too busy with Grace, and yes, that was true, but Brooke eventually got Peyton to admit that she still had feelings for Lucas. Big, secret, feelings that she'd carried around consciously since her breakup from Julian, and unconsciously since her breakup from Lucas himself.

He somehow resisted the urge to kiss her. She was standing there, staring at him with those green eyes, and if he wasn't mistaken, flirting just a little bit. But they'd just gotten onto good terms, and he wouldn't ruin that.

"So, how about you fix me one of these mojitos I keep hearing about?" he said with a smile.

"How about you put a shirt on first?" she said with a raised brow. Truthfully, she just wouldn't be able to concentrate with him, shirtless and gorgeous, standing next to her.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen," he said with a laugh.

Maybe they could get there. Maybe they already were.


	4. Chapter 4

Sunday came and went and Peyton woke up late on Monday morning, realizing that she had far too much to do that day to have slept in. She shot out of bed quickly after seeing that it was already 9:30, went to check and make sure Grace was still sleeping, and had a quick shower. They were coming to set up the cable and internet sometime before noon, so she knew that she had the rest of the morning to work on setting up her office and her art room. She had a job interview that afternoon. In short, her day was crazy, and she was getting a late start.

She woke Grace and the two had breakfast before heading to unpack yet more boxes that they had left untouched. It made Peyton realize just how much stuff they had. At noon on the dot, the utilities technician showed up, and of course, he was the slowest worker she'd ever encountered. It took him at least double the time it should have to activate what she needed, and it was 1:00 by the time she could even get ready for her interview, which was at 2:00.

The phone rang just as she was buttoning her top, and it was Brooke calling from New York. She'd gotten called to a meeting at the last minute and had left early that morning, forgetting that she was supposed to watch Grace while Peyton was at her interview. She tried Nathan and Haley before remembering that they were in Raleigh for the day. There was one person she thought she might be able to count on.

She packed some of Grace's things into her back pack and rushed her quickly out the door, realizing that she didn't even have time to call him before her interview. If he wasn't home, she'd just have to explain and hope that her potential boss wouldn't mind if a 7 year old sat and coloured while he asked her what he needed to ask.

She knocked on the door tentatively, yet frantically at the same time. She really didn't want to have to ask, but she had simply run out of options. When he pulled the door open, her breath hitched in her throat. There he stood, in just jeans and a black tee shirt that was tight in all the right places. She wondered how he could be wearing something so simple and still be _the_ sexiest person in the world.

"Hey," he greeted with a smile before noticing the frenzied look on her face and the 7 year old standing next to her.

"Hi. Look, Luke, I hate to even ask, but I have an interview in like," she rambled, stopping to check her watch, "Oh God. Like, 15 minutes, and Brooke got called to New York, and Nathan and Haley are in Raleigh, and I have no one to watch Grace."

"Go," he said calmly with a smile, taking the purple back pack from her hand.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Because I can..."

"Peyton," he interrupted. "_Go_. I can watch her. It's no problem."

"Thank you _so_ much," she said, sighing in relief. Lucas held back a laugh at how flustered she was, and watched her kneel in front of her daughter and rest her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Okay Gracie. Are you alright here for a bit?"

"Sure mom. Go get your job," she said with a smile, making both adults laugh.

"Be good, alright? Don't break any rules. And don't fib to get him to let you do things that I don't let you do," Peyton insisted seriously.

"I don't do that!" Grace exclaimed.

"Do I need to remind you about convincing Brooke to let you chew 3 pieces of Hubba Bubba at once?" Peyton pointed out with a raised brow.

"Okay," Grace groaned. Lucas looked on, laughing at the scene as he rest his arm against the door frame.

"Okay. I love you," Peyton said, kissing the girl's forehead before she stood and turned to Lucas again. "Thank you so, so much. I'll be back in a couple hours at most. Call me if you need anything."

"Get out of here," he laughed.

"Love you, mom," Grace said with a smile.

Peyton took a deep breath and started down the steps. He couldn't stop himself from checking her out as she walked back to her car. Her black suit hugged her hips perfectly, and her green top made her eyes stand out even more. Her heels only made her legs look even better, if that was even possible. He refocused his attention on the girl on his porch and they waved at Peyton as she drove off.

"So," Grace said, looking up at him with a wide smirk, "got any Hubba Bubba?"

"Yeah right, kid," he laughed, rustling her hair and ushering her into the house.

----

Peyton walked down the familiar hallway and towards the office. It was nostalgic and eerie and odd to be there, but somehow, it felt comfortable in spite of those things. Her heels clicked against the linoleum and she felt grown up. For the first time, maybe in her life, she felt like an adult. She could see herself doing this every day - walking these halls.

"Principal Turner," she said with a smile as she walked through the open door.

"Peyton Sawyer," he said eagerly. "It's great to see you."

"You too. I like what you've done with the place," she teased, making him chuckle. The school had hardly changed at all since she'd gone there.

"We do what we can," he laughed. "So you're here about the teaching position."

"Yes sir," she nodded.

"Oh, please. Call me Carl," he insisted as he pored over her resumé. "This all looks really great, Peyton. I just have a few questions. I'd like to think I know you pretty well, but it has been a while and a lot can change in eight years."

"It sure can," she agreed.

"Why do you want this job?" he asked bluntly. She had been expecting it. She knew Turner was no slouch, and he took the task of staffing his faculty very seriously.

"I want to teach kids discipline through something they love. I want to show them that expressing themselves artistically is an easy and meaningful way to portray your emotions. Something doesn't have to be aesthetically beautiful for it to be therapeutic. Of course, I also want to show them that art is a lot more than just some splatters on a canvas or charcoal on a piece of paper. I want to help these kids reach their potential."

He nodded. She'd just given him a perfect answer, and he was pretty sure she knew that.

"I see here that you worked at a record label for four years?" he pointed out. "What was that like and why did you leave."

"It was great, for a while. I learned a lot in that job. I learned that he music industry wasn't for me, first and foremost," she laughed. "But I also learned about teamwork and hard work, and that it takes more than a little talent to make it - in any industry, not just the music industry. I just found that just because I was working in the industry, didn't mean I was following my passion. I started throwing myself more and more into my art, and I realized that I could make a living doing that instead of getting lunch menus and booking hotels for someone."

"I must say, Peyton, I've looked through your portfolio, and I had no idea you had such artistic talent," he admitted sheepishly. "You do great work."

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"I just worry that working here will get in the way of the time you'd normally spend on your own art, or vice versa" he explained.

"With all due respect, sir, an artist's inspiration comes and goes when it feels like it. There's no set time to create. I can't just sit down and paint a masterpiece. And I have a daughter to care for, so the stability of this work and these hours is perfect for me. To be honest, if I never paint another piece again, I'll still be alright as long as she is taken care of," she said honestly. She wasn't normally this candid in interviews, but she felt like he would understand. He had, after all, known her since she was 14.

"You have a daughter?" he asked with interest. It wasn't part of the interview, he was just curious.

"She's adopted, yes," she explained with a smile. "She's seven and she's been with me for about three years. It's a complicated situation, but I adopted her after her parents realized they couldn't provide for her any more."

"That's fairly remarkable, Peyton," he said with a nod.

"So I'm told," she said, grinning as she thought of Grace.

"Well listen, you were my last interview, and I can safely say that you probably had the job before you even walked in the door," he admitted with a slight laugh. "But after this chat, it's clear that you're the perfect person for the position."

"Are you serious?" she asked excitedly as they both stood.

"Welcome to Tree Hill High, Ms. Sawyer," he said with a smile, extending his hand across the desk.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" she said, shaking his hand.

"I suppose I'll see you in a couple weeks. I'll be in touch," he said as he walked her to the door.

"I'll see you then," she echoed.

She walked back out of the school and across the quad towards her car, knowing that Tree Hill was home again. She had a job and a home and her best friends back. This was home.

----

"So," Luke started, looking at the little girl as she sat in the chair in his living room. "What can you tell me about your mom?"

"Umm," she mumbled as she shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"Is she always that crazy?" he laughed.

"Kinda," she answered honestly. "Only when she's late for something. But she's always late for something."

"Does she paint a lot?" he asked after his laughter had subsided.

"Yeah. Lots. She has a whole room for it," Grace explained.

"Really?" he asked with a smile.

"Yup," Grace nodded.

Peyton had always told him that when she owned her own house, she wanted to have her own room for her sketches and paintings. An art room to house her easel and supplies, where she could work as though it were her own private studio.

"You want something to drink?" he asked. "I think I have some juice."

"I'm okay," she said happily. "What else do you want to know about my mom?"

He loved this little girl. She was awesome. He got the feeling she was a really good judge of people, and she knew when there was something someone wanted to say, but didn't know how. And she was so cute it nearly killed him.

"Does she really talk about me all the time?" he asked with a raised brow, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees. He tried to make it sound playful. He was dying to know.

"Not _all_ the time," she said, rolling her eyes dramatically. "But a lot. And only to Brooke."

"What do they say?" he pressed. God, since when had he become so desperate for information that he'd interrogate a 7 year old?

"When we lived in L.A., she said she missed you," she started. His heart nearly beat out of his chest. "She said that everything was different, but I don't really know what that means."

"That's okay," he laughed. He knew what that meant. Or at least he thought he had an idea. "What about other boys?"

"Nope. None," she said, shaking her head. He breathed a sigh of relief he knew she wouldn't recognize.

"You want to go for ice cream?" he asked. He needed to reward this little girl for being such a good spy.

"Sure!" she squealed, getting up from her seat and walking to the front door quickly before turning on her heel. She turned so abruptly that it surprised him when he saw her big brown eyes staring back up at him.

"What?" he asked unnervingly.

"Do you love my mom?" she asked bluntly.

"Oh. Well...I um...It's kind of complicated," he stuttered.

"It's okay if you do," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door.

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh. I think you're nice," she insisted adamently.

He wasn't sure any four words affected him like those ones did. He was quickly falling for this little girl. He'd always loved kids, but the only children he ever felt this way for were Lily and Jamie. Grace was quickly becoming one of his favourite people.

"Well, I think you're nice, too, Grace," he said with a smile as they started walking hand in hand down the street.

----

Peyton hadn't expected her interview to go that quickly, let alone that well. She checked the time and noticed she'd just left Grace with Lucas not even an hour earlier. She thought for a moment about going to pick up her daughter, but she thought she'd make the best of the time she had alone. She trusted Lucas with Grace wholeheartedly, though she wasn't sure how or why. She supposed she'd just always trusted him, from the first moment they met.

She drove through the town, stopping at her favourite coffee shop for a frozen coffee. To any outsider, she looked like a working professional in her tailored black suit. She walked for a bit, then found a bench and sat for a while, looking out over the river that ran through the town. It had been a long time since she just stopped and enjoyed the quiet life of the little town. It was such a drastic change of pace from L.A., but it felt perfect. She felt calm and rested and she was filled with that sense of comfort that only your hometown can give you.

She looked across the river to the old basketball court where she'd spent so much of her youth, and noticed two figures joking and playing. She recognized them both immediately, and a wide smile came to her face. She walked back to her car and drove over the old bridge to the other side, parking next to the court like she'd done so many times before, and stepping out. Her heels sounded on the blacktop, calling their attention to her.

"Well, well," she said with a smirk. "What do we have here?"

"Mom!" Grace shouted, running to wrap her arms around Peyton's waist. "Luke's showing me how to play basketball!"

"Cool!" Peyton said with a laugh.

Lucas' eyes were fixed on her, and he knew she'd see, but he didn't really care. She was stunning, and her outfit was totally distracting. His eyes moved to her face and he noticed she was blushing and looking down like she always used to do when he'd look at her that way.

"Do we have to go?" Grace asked, pulling the adults from their moment.

"No, honey. You keep playing, and I'll just watch. No hurry," Peyton said with a smile as she glanced back at Luke.

Peyton walked over to the bleachers and could feel Luke's gaze on her the entire way. She really wished he'd stop looking at her that way, but not because she didn't like the attention. It was getting harder and harder to ignore him. The more he stared, and the more time she spent with him, the more she thought that ignoring what they had was futile, and if she was being honest, she wasn't sure she wanted to do it anymore.

Lucas watched as she sat and crossed her legs one over the other. His mouth went dry. He wasn't sure how she could have that effect on him while wearing so many clothes. And he was in the presence of a 7 year old, and all he wanted to do was run over to the sexy woman sitting 20 feet away and kiss her until they were both breathless.

"Luke!" Grace called, pulling him from his daydream. "How do I do it again?"

"Like this," he explained, placing her hands on the ball like he'd just begun to show her before Peyton arrived.

She watched as he showed her little girl how to shoot the perfect jump shot, smiling and clapping each time the ball went through the hoop. For a moment - just a moment - she pretended they were a proper family; her, Lucas, and their daughter. But she had to stop herself from thinking that way. Other than lingering looks, nothing had happened between her and Lucas to imply they were anything other than friends.

After a while, Lucas joined Peyton on the bleachers and they watched as Grace ran and dribbled the ball and sent up shot after shot.

"I can't _believe_ you never taught her how to play," Lucas teased, bumping her shoulder with his own.

"Well, that would require me knowing how to play," she laughed. "And before you say anything, we both know that no matter how hard you tried to teach me, I was never good at it."

"That _is_ true," he joked, earning him a glare. "She's a natural."

"She's good at everything she does. It's annoying," Peyton pointed out with a chuckle.

"So how'd it go?" Lucas asked eagerly, remembering the reason he was playing babysitter for the afternoon.

"I got it," she said with a smile.

His eyes went wide and he grinned. "Peyton, that's great!" His arms were around her before either of them could say another word, and he'd pulled her into that embrace that had always felt so comfortable to her. She didn't want to move, but when he pulled away, she was actually slightly relieved. It was a friendly hug to congratulate her, not a romantic embrace. "So what's the job anyway? You were so frantic earlier, I didn't get a chance to ask," he laughed.

"You are talking to Tree Hill High's new art teacher," she said proudly.

"Are you serious?" he asked excitedly, and she nodded. "We're all going to be working together? That's crazy."

"I know, right? We just have to get Brooke in there and we'll all be teachers," she laughed.

"I am no teacher," he insisted. "Nate and I are simply coaches. You ladies do the real work." He paused to look over at her, and the sunlight hit her face just perfectly. "So I guess we'll be seeing each other every day, Miss Sawyer."

"I guess so, Coach Scott," she laughed.

Something about the way she said that made a shiver run down his spine. He'd have to keep that in check, however. Now he'd have to be professional around her all the time. He was pretty sure that feat would be near impossible.

"Thanks so much for watching her for me, Luke," Peyton said sincerely. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't around."

"I don't mind. She's a great kid," he said with a smile, watching Grace make another shot. He remembered his earlier conversation with her, and her confession that Peyton had missed him. "I still can't believe you are a mom."

"What?!" she exclaimed with a smile. "Is it that hard to believe that I'd have a child?"

"No!" he answered quickly. "It's not that. I always knew you'd be great, but..."

"What?" she pressed after his voice trailed.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head.

"Lucas Scott, tell me right now," she demanded. Yup, she'd make a good teacher with that attitude, he thought.

"I just kind of...I mean...I guess I just...." he stuttered. She looked at him with a furrowed brow and he lost his nerve again. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Luke, come on. Tell me," she insisted softly, placing her hand on his forearm encouragingly. "I want to know what you think."

"I guess I just thought that if you ever had a child, it would have been with me," he admitted quietly.

She had no clue how to respond to that. Had he actually just said those words? He left her. He almost married someone else, for crying out loud. Yet he had just admitted to this deep secret he'd carried around. He had thought about having children with her. They'd never really talked about it when they were together, though there was a moment when she was holding Lily with him sitting next to her, that she genuinely felt like that was her future. And truthfully, she felt the same way as him. She had always thought that if she had a baby, it would be Lucas'. But, that ship had sailed long ago. Hadn't it?

She was just about to comment when Grace walked towards them and jokingly collapsed in front of them.

"This sport is tiring," she pointed out dramatically.

"Yeah?" Lucas laughed, noticing Peyton was still speechless. He needed to break the tension somehow, then Grace did it for him.

"Good thing I had those _two_ scoops of ice cream before," she said with a smirk, watching Peyton as she looked at Lucas with her mouth agape.

"You let her have two scoops?" Peyton asked.

"She wanted chocolate _and_ vanilla! I couldn't say no," he laughed.

"You, missy," Peyton scolded, pointing to her girl, as Grace got up and started to run away laughing.

"Sorry," Lucas said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I usually cave on that one, too," Peyton laughed, then turned her attention back to Grace. "Come on, kiddo. We should go. I'm sure Luke has things to do today other than teach you to be a baller."

Lucas laughed at her choice of words as Grace walked back towards them.

"Actually, I didn't really have anything to do. I was just reading _The Grapes of Wrath _for the hundredth time," he explained.

"How can you read that so often?" she laughed.

"Oh come on, don't you have a book you can just always pick up and get lost in no matter how many times you've read it?" he asked.

She couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't tell him that she had an entire box full of his novels. Luckily, she didn't have to worry about responding, because she was interrupted by Grace.

"Mom, can Lucas come for dinner?" she asked, looking up at Peyton with her puppy dog eyes - likely the same ones that got her two scoops of ice cream earlier.

"It's okay," he insisted. He didn't want to deal with the lingering awkwardness that he knew would surround them. "Not necessary."

"Come on, Luke. It's the least I can do for helping me today," Peyton said genuinely. "I make a mean spaghetti and meatballs."

"Please Luke!" Grace pleaded. He knew he was a goner. There was no way he could say no to either of them.

"Okay fine. You twisted my arm," he said, rolling his eyes playfully.

Grace stood between them and took both their hands as they walked to Peyton's SUV, and both adults shared a timid look. They each knew the other would be thinking of Lucas' confession, and that he'd have to explain himself a little further the next time they were able to talk alone.

They made small talk about her Volvo, and she explained that her dad and Nathan had both given her information and opinions when making the purchase. He laughed and pointed out that Nathan didn't know much about cars, and she explained that that's what made her call her dad. They stopped for a bottle of wine and some groceries, and Lucas ran in to one of his former players' parents who just assumed that Peyton was his wife. They both blushed and stuttered as they explained that they were just friends.

Peyton wandered through to the kitchen while Grace enthusiastically tugged Lucas up the stairs to show him her room and her favourite things. Peyton sent him a smile when he looked back at her. She put on some music and got to work on dinner, but not before kicking off her heels and pulling her hair up into a ponytail. Every once in a while she'd hear Grace's giggle or Lucas' laugh echo down the stairs, and it would put a smile on her face. Just the thought of him making her daughter laugh like that was enough to make her heart swell.

After about a half hour, she'd gotten a good start on dinner, and she heard the footsteps bounding down the stairs, only to turn and see Lucas with Grace slung over his shoulder.

"Well hey there, upside down girl," Peyton laughed as she stirred the contents of the saucepan on the stove. She wiped her hands on a dish towel before she set a glass of water on the counter for her daughter.

"Sorry," Lucas snickered, placing Grace down on her feet.

"Mom, Luke is _so_ fun!" Grace informed her mother, as though it was the world's best kept secret.

"He has his moments," Peyton admitted, shooting Lucas a wink over her daughter's head.

"Did you know he writes stories?" Grace asked. Her eyes were wide with awe. Grace was a big reader. She'd read anything and everything she could get her hands on in those moments when she'd sit still long enough to get through a book. She may have been a busy body, but she certainly got a love of reading from somewhere.

"I did know that," Peyton said with a smile.

"He says I have a good collection of books," Grace said proudly.

"It's true," he added. He reached for the bottle of wine that was sitting on the counter and Peyton took a corkscrew from the drawer so he could open it. She grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and set them on the counter.

"I'm gonna go change while you pour," she informed him, taking the dish towel from where it had been draped over her shoulder and dropping it on the counter.

He took one last lingering glance at her as she walked out of the room. She could feel his eyes on her once again, and she was starting to think that maybe wearing a business suit wasn't all that bad.

As soon as she stepped into her bedroom, she took a moment to process exactly what was happening. Her daughter was getting attached to him. Hell, _she_ was getting even more attached to him. At first, the thought scared her, but then she realized that none of them were going anywhere. She had a job and a home. Grace was enrolled in school. Lucas was coaching and writing, and as far as she knew, he wasn't leaving. It wouldn't be horrible for Grace to have a strong male influence in her life.

As she shed her skirt and put on a pair of denim shorts and a plain grey tee shirt, it hit her just how much she really had missed this; Lucas. Her friendship with him had always been the foundation of their entire relationship, and it felt like a weight had been lifted to know they could have that back so easily. She just hoped that would be enough for her.

They ate dinner while making conversation about some of the bigger events that had taken place in their lives since they'd last seen each other, steering clear of relationships for the sake of Grace, and both their own hearts. He wasn't a fool; he knew that she had undoubtedly had relationships, but he wasn't ready to hear about them. And for her part, Peyton knew that he had almost gotten married, but she certainly didn't want to hear about it. Not yet.

After dinner, Peyton gave Lucas the official tour of the house. He could tell she was proud of her purchase, and she should have been. The four bedroom, three bathroom home was perfect for her. It suited her. It felt like her, somehow. She'd turned one of the spare bedrooms into her art room, just as Grace had told him earlier. He was impressed. He was happy for her. He was happy to have her back in his life.

When it came time for Grace to go to bed, she hugged Lucas tighter than he thought possible for a girl her size, and watched as Peyton followed her up the stairs to tuck her in. He was left sitting in her only half unpacked living room, sipping wine and feeling like this was the life he wanted.

She came back down the stairs after about 15 minutes and saw him sitting quietly on the couch, clearly lost in thought until she sat down next to him. She wanted to curl into his side and have him drape his arm around her shoulder like he used to. But she had to remind herself that those days were long over.

"She loves you," Peyton pointed out with a genuine smile. He just chuckled and shook his head. "No, Lucas. She _really_ loves you."

"Well, I'm pretty fond of her, too," he admitted with a grin. "She's awesome, Peyton."

"Yeah, she is," she said softly.

And then she remembered his words from earlier. She wondered if it hurt him to know that Peyton had had that life without him. All she wanted to do was tell him that she always thought she'd have a baby with him, too. He must have read her mind, because he broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he said quietly. He knew she'd know what he was referring to. "I don't know where that came from."

"Luke..."

"It's just..." he interrupted. He knew his earlier statement was true - he couldn't see himself having a child with anyone else - but he wanted to downplay what he'd said just a little bit. "Seeing you with her and how amazing you are...I guess it just stung a little because I feel so far away from that."

"From what?" she asked, ignoring the immense compliment he'd just payed her.

"Kids," he explained softly.

"Luke, what happened between you and Lindsey," she asked, looking anywhere but at him. She heard him take a deep breath and immediately regretted asking. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me. God, that was bold of me. I'm sorry."

"Peyton," he said, stopping her rambling. "It's alright." He nodded just subtly, and Peyton smiled sheepishly. "We were together for two years and I proposed. She had finally moved down here from New York for good, and everything was going great. We decided to have a short engagement because she wanted a spring wedding." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. He didn't love Lindsey anymore, but it was still hard to tell the story. It was humiliating more than anything else. "We were literally at the altar, and I had just said 'I do' and she just took off the ring, said she couldn't marry me, and ran out of the church."

"How could she...?" Peyton started, but stopped herself from going further. She didn't know this woman - she'd never met her - but in that moment, she wanted to slap that perfect stranger for ever hurting Lucas.

"I was...kind of a mess for a while," he admitted.

He couldn't tell her the details. He couldn't tell her that Lindsey had quoted his book and insisted that he was still in love with Peyton. He couldn't tell her that Haley had called him the night before his wedding and told him not to marry Lindsey because his book was about the blonde girl he been infatuated with since he was 13.

"I'm so sorry," she said honestly, shaking her head sympathetically. He turned to her and looked directly into her eyes.

"Lindsey just wasn't the one for me."

She felt as though her heart might beat out of her chest, and she certainly hoped he wouldn't see that. Did he mean that he thought _she_ was the one for him? What the hell was going on between them? She hadn't felt that much sexual tension between the two of them since...well, a long time ago.

"What about you?" he asked, breaking the moment, thankfully. "Surely you've had men falling over themselves to get to you."

She let out a hearty laugh, then covered her mouth remembering that Grace was trying to sleep. How he loved to hear that laugh...

"No," she said, shaking her head vehemently. "The mom thing is kind of a turn off."

"That's _so_ not true," he said before he could stop himself. He watched her cheeks turn pink. It definitely didn't take much to get that reaction from her any more, though he wasn't complaining. She looked adorable when she blushed.

"There was this one guy, before Grace," she said, brushing off his comment. "We were together for almost two years. Lived together and all that." He wasn't sure why, but it was all he could do not to curl his hand into a fist upon hearing that information. "But it didn't end well, and I haven't really talked to him since. Since the adoption, it's been pretty much impossible to date."

"Why'd you two break up?" he asked with interest.

_Because I loved your book more than I loved him_.

"He just wasn't the one for me," she said with a smirk that she hoped would be just a little bit flirty. They both took sips of their wine, and he hoped she didn't see his hands shaking.

"Peyton, why'd you wait so long to come home?" he asked candidly.

"I know no one understands, but...It was just never the right time. With Grace's school, and everything that was going on with my work, and..." She'd answered this question before. A lot. To her father, and Brooke, and Nathan and Haley. It was harder to say the words to Lucas.

"You should have come home sooner," he stated with confidence. He really believed it. "We missed you._ I _missed you."

She felt her heart stop, then start again, and she didn't want to admit that she'd been waiting to hear those words for years and years.

"I missed you too," she almost whispered.

They toned down the intensity of their conversation as they finished the bottle of wine, and completely lost track of time. Before they knew it, it was 11:30 and they'd spent the better part of the day together, laughing and talking. It felt amazing to be able to do that again. But as the time went on and they got reacquainted, the tension only mounted between them. So many times, he was tempted to lean in and kiss those perfect lips of hers. She felt it too. In the middle of one of his stories about some antics he and Nathan had gotten up to, she dropped her hand to his thigh mid-laugh, and they locked eyes. She thought for sure they were about to throw caution to the wind, but she pulled her hand away and smiled apologetically instead. He finished his story and drained his glass, then began to stand.

"I should probably go," he said, looking at the time.

"I suppose it's getting pretty late." Truthfully, she didn't want him to go. She would have stayed up with him all night talking like they used to do if he would have let her.

They stood and she walked him to the door, thanking him once again for taking care of Grace for the day. He repeated that he was there to help if she needed anything at all. He pulled her into a tight embrace, and she got lost in the nostalgia of being wrapped in his arms, breathing in that familiar scent and being reminded of just how perfectly her body fit against his.

He pulled away and smiled, then leaned down and kissed her cheek, as close to her mouth as he could get without actually hitting her lips. The feel of his stubbled cheek against her skin made her temperature spike in a way that had nothing to do with the summer air.

"Thanks for dinner. I guess I'll see you soon," he said with a grin, as he tried to compose himself and keep from pulling her against him again.

"Yeah," she muttered, clearly distracted by his presence.

He stepped out onto the porch and she waved as he began walking down the sidewalk in the direction of his own house.

She was left alone in her home, wondering if just maybe he was feeling all the same things she was.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days after Peyton and Lucas had dinner, Haley suggested that Peyton and Grace come over for a girls' day. Brooke joined them as well, and the four of them laid in Haley's back yard in their bathing suits, enjoying the sun, and fresh lemonade, and the pool. They congratulated Peyton on her new job, and Haley was especially excited that the two of them would be working together every day, and that she'd have another friend to keep her company, other than Lucas, Skills, and Nathan. When Brooke laughed and asked who else she knew, Haley just rolled her eyes and said that at least she'd be able to get away from the boys when she needed to, and swap stories about teaching.

"So, Peyton, what's up with you and Luke," Brooke asked suddenly, as Grace played in the water at the other end of the pool.

"What?!" Peyton cried quickly.

"Haley said that Nathan said that Luke told him that you two had dinner the other night," Brooke said with a smile.

"Haley also said that Brooke shouldn't say anything about it," Haley scolded, laughing as she took another sip of her beverage.

"And Peyton says that Brooke should mind her business," Peyton said with a smirk. She knew her best friend wouldn't be able to stand not knowing the latest gossip, though there wasn't much to tell.

"Whatever, Lucas told me himself and didn't say it was some big secret," Brooke said, waving off her friends' comments.

"Mom! Watch me jump," Grace called from across the pool. Once she had her mother's attention, she leaped as high as she could and splashed into the pool.

"Good work!" Peyton encouraged once Grace had resurfaced. "I swear, that girl is like a fish."

"How's she liking it here?" Haley asked, knowing Peyton had concerns about how Grace would react in the new environment.

"She loves it. She said yesterday that she likes it even better than L.A. I think she's a small town girl at heart," Peyton said with a smile.

"Luke loves her," Brooke said, grinning ear to ear at her attempted segue.

"Brooke," Haley admonished.

"What?" Brooke shrugged. "He and I had coffee yesterday. He said he played babysitter on Monday and that he is smitten with her."

"Lucas did not use the word _smitten_," Haley laughed.

"He might as well have! He couldn't stop talking about her," Brooke informed them.

Their was a tiny, little piece of Peyton that was jealous that her daughter had stolen his attention so easily. There was a time when Luke's attention was solely on her, and though she hadn't had that kind of focus in a very long time, from anyone, she wanted it from Luke. And she hated that.

"She really likes him, too. He took her to the River Court, and she showed him her room and everything," Peyton said, watching as Grace started doing a few laps of the pool. "It's weird, though, that she's so at ease around him. It's not like her."

"It's not that weird," Haley insisted. "She takes her cues from you. If you're calm around him, she will be, too."

"Yeah. I guess so," Peyton said, nodding gently. The truth was, she wasn't calm at all. She was a mess of nerves and butterflies when she was around him. She wasn't about to admit that to her friends, though. Even she knew that they were probably already very aware of it.

"Okay, so what's going on with you two?" Haley asked quickly, making them all laugh. She shrugged her shoulders and looked at Peyton pointedly as she waited for an answer.

"Nothing!" Peyton exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "He's just the only one of you guys I haven't really talked to in...forever. So we are just kind of getting our bearings."

"Yeah, okay," Brooke scoffed. "Because you and Luke really need time to get reacquainted."

"What does that mean?" Peyton asked defensively, sitting up and grabbing a towel for Grace, who'd just stepped out of the pool.

"That means that you two are like, one soul in two people," Haley mused. "You could be apart for 20 years and it would still be like no time had passed."

"What are you talking about?" Grace said as she sat on the lounge chair next to her mother.

"Lucas," Brooke stated. Peyton shot her a look for even saying the name in front of the girl.

"He was talking to me about you, too, mom," Grace said nonchalantly. The three older women exchanged looks upon hearing that bit of information.

"What did he say?" Brooke inquired.

"He asked how much you guys talk about him," she giggled. "And he asked if there was any other boys."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Brooke asked with a kinked brow, looking directly at Peyton, who rolled her eyes.

"Yup. And he smiled when I said there was none," Grace said, making Peyton snap her gaze down at her daughter. "And then I asked if he loved you, and I said it was okay if he did because he's cool."

Haley and Brooke each stifled a laugh at how forward Grace had obviously been with Lucas, and how honest he'd been with her. Peyton wondered how the conversation had even come about, and why he'd be so interested in her romantic life. She knew there was only one real explanation, and she'd had that suspicion since the party and his comment. She wondered how they could possibly even consider a romantic relationship without talking about all the things that had torn them apart and come between them over the years. That was not a conversation she especially wanted to have.

"Well, being cool is definitely an important factor," Haley laughed as Peyton stood from her seat and started gathering their things.

"We should go. Grace, you have a room to clean," Peyton said with a raised brow, then turned back to Brooke and Haley. "We moved in a week ago and it's already a disaster."

"It's not my fault!" Grace protested.

"And whose fault is it?" Peyton said, putting a hand on her hip and waiting for an answer.

"I don't know," Grace mumbled, making everyone, including herself, laugh.

Haley watched the exchange with a smile. One of her best friends was a mom, and a good one, it seemed. She loved that she knew someone else who had a child about the same age as Jamie, and now that they were going to be working together, she was even happier. She was sure the two of them would get their friendship back very quickly. They kind of already had.

"We'll see you guys later," Brooke said, hugging Grace.

"Bye aunt Brooke. Bye Haley," Grace said happily.

"I don't get the 'aunt' title?" Haley laughed.

"_Aunt_ Haley," Grace said pointedly, with a wide smile. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Haley, and the two giggled when Grace's hair dripped water onto Haley's shoulder.

Once Peyton and Grace had closed the fence gate behind them and were out of sight, Haley turned to Brooke, who still donned a raised brow.

"Honestly?" Haley asked.

"I know. Lucas isn't exactly being subtle, is he?" Brooke laughed, laying back on the lounge chair to let the sun kiss her skin.

"Not really," Haley mused. "I don't really envy either of them, though. I mean, they've both had a lot of things happen since they last saw each other. Eight years is a long time."

"Yeah, but at least they'll be friends," Brooke said with a shrug. "Kind of like it used to be."

"Brooke," Haley admonished. "Lucas and Peyton are never just friends."

"I know that, and you know that," Brooke smirked, propping herself up on her elbow. "They, for some reason, don't know that."

Haley and Brooke both knew there was more to the story than either blonde wanted to admit. Brooke was Peyton's best friend and one of Lucas' closest friends, and Haley was Lucas' best friend and one of Peyton's closest friends. Between the two of them, they had all the intel they needed to get the two former lovers back together, but they each knew that when it came to Lucas and Peyton, they really had to be left to their own devices. Haley could talk to Lucas about it until she was blue in the face, but he needed to figure out his Peyton issues on his own. Part of her was scared that he obviously still had feelings for the first girl he'd ever truly loved, but the other part of her knew - as most everyone knew - that Peyton wasn't just another ex-girlfriend.

Peyton had wanted to head straight home from Nathan and Haley's, exhausted from the heat and the sleepless night she'd had the night before, but she realized she was low on milk and bread, so she and Grace went downtown and popped into the grocery store to get what they needed.

She was just driving towards her house again, and as she drove past the last row of stores before the end of Main Street she heard her daughter's voice point out what she'd already seen.

"Hey mom, there's Luke!"

"Yeah...There's Luke," Peyton muttered, trying to watch the road and the blonde at the same time.

"Who's that lady?" Grace asked, with the innocence only an eight year old could.

"I don't know, kiddo," Peyton said, after seeing him kiss the stranger on the cheek and hug her before he watched her walk away.

But she wondered the same thing. For the next several hours. Actually, who was she kidding. She wondered about it for the rest of that evening, and then when she woke up the next day, she wondered about it all over again.

----

The heat wave was on in full effect, so when one of the neighbours from down the street who she'd met the day after moving in and had seen nearly every day since, asked if Grace wanted to go swim in their pool, Peyton, of course, said yes. They had a daughter the same age as Grace, and the two girls had played together a few times.

Lucas was walking by Peyton's house and noticed her on the porch. Truthfully, he was hoping he'd see her when he chose that route. He'd missed her since he'd last seen her, but had tried to keep a little distance, though it had only been a few days since the dinner they shared. He didn't want it to be too much, too soon, and he knew she had a tonne going on. He figured he'd just let her do her own thing and let him know when she had some time to get together.

But his feet had taken him in the direction of her home, and he knew that he wouldn't just be waving as he passed. Of course, once he saw her in her little shorts and tank top, barefoot with her hair pulled up, he was drawn to her even more.

She saw him on the street and rolled her eyes though she knew he wouldn't see. She felt like a jealous teenager, wondering who the woman was and why he'd seemed so friendly with her. That he wasn't hers to be jealous about didn't matter. She couldn't stop that little voice in the back of her head from telling her that he was interested in someone else. The last thing she wanted was to have to be nice to him, so she decided she wouldn't be.

"Hey, Peyton," he said happily, walking up the walkway and onto her porch.

"Hi," she said somewhat coldly.

"How's it going? How's Grace?" he asked, hoping to break down the defense she'd so obviously put up. He wondered if she'd forgotten how well he could read her.

"It's going fine," she said, busying herself by sweeping the dust off her porch. "And she's good."

"Where is she? I'll say hi," he offered, wondering what had her so upset.

"She's down the street swimming with her new friend," she explained. Immediately, she wished she hadn't said so much. She really, really didn't want to talk to him much, but his interest in her daughter had broken her down a bit.

"Oh," he said a little sadly. He had wanted to see the little girl. He watched as Peyton violently swept her already spotless porch, and knew he had to as what was going on. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said in exasperation as she threw the broom against the wall. He did his best to stifle his laugh; clearly, she was _not_ fine.

"Are you forgetting that I know when you're not telling me the truth?" he asked with a smirk. She looked at him and she couldn't decide whether she wanted to smack that smirk off his face, or smile back at him in return. Such was always the power of the Scott Smirk.

"I've just got some stuff going on," she said softly. He moved to sit on her porch swing, and she realized he wasn't going to be going anywhere until she told him what was bothering her.

"Peyton, come on," he encouraged. "Why do I get the feeling you're mad at _me_?"

"God, Lucas, I don't know," she said in frustration, throwing up her hands. "Maybe the heat is getting to me or something."

"What?" he asked cluelessly.

"There were just a few points the other night where it felt like you and me again, you know? The old you and me who used to be able to say anything and do anything and nothing else mattered," she said quickly. "Ugh! I really need to stop talking around you."

"Peyton..." He was already confused at her cold greeting, but her rambling had left him more in the dark than he'd been before she started talking.

"No, Luke," she said harshly. "I guess I'm the only one who felt that way, so whatever. I shouldn't be surprised because you're...well, look at you! You're amazing and smart and successful and...you're so..._sexy_. It's no wonder you're dating all sorts of women and..."

"What?" he asked again, standing and pushing her into the house to avoid attention they didn't want from her neighbours. His hands on her skin made her want to forget everything else, but she knew she was in too deep.

"The girl I saw you with on the street yesterday! And I don't even know why I'm saying this to you because I have no business putting my nose into your personal life. I mean, you and I are just friends, I guess," she said, turning away from him. "But you know what? You..."

"Peyton!" he shouted, finally getting her attention.

"What?!" she said just as loudly, turning back to face him again.

"She was a woman who used to work at the school," he explained delicately. "It was just a friendly conversation."

Fuck.

Suddenly, she felt like the stupidest person in the world. She'd just said all the things she absolutely did not want to say. She'd been trying so hard to just be his friend and ignore that undeniable tension between them, and she'd just pointed it out to him in a painfully obvious way. She kind of wanted to crawl into a hole or throw him out and not speak to him again for a long, long time.

"Oh."

"And I felt that with you the other night, too. I just didn't know what I was supposed to feel," he admitted softly.

She took an audible breath, and he wondered how they got there. She'd just blurted out exactly how she felt, and he'd done the same. He shouldn't have been surprised; that was kind of the way the two had always been. They'd try to hold things in and spare the others' feelings, but something would happen to make them lay everything out on the table. It seemed the same thing was happening now.

"You did?" she asked, with a look of surprise etched on her face.

"Of course I did," he said quietly, moving to stand in front of her. He boldly reached out and put his hand on her hip, and she felt herself falling apart beneath the simple touch.

"I'm sorry," she said, closing her eyes in embarrassment. "I jumped to conclusions and acted like a crazy woman, and you don't deserve that, especially not from me, and...Okay, I really do need to stop talking."

"Yes, you do."

He smiled, and put his other arm around her back to pull her closer. Her breath hitched in her throat, and he loved that he still had that effect on her. He pressed his lips to hers in a short, chaste kiss, then pulled away as she sighed. Butterflies. Lots of them. The kind she used to get as a kid when he'd look at her like that or kiss her. She always felt those kisses in a whole lot of places, and he'd never made fun of her when she told him that. He didn't say it, but she got the impression he felt the same way.

"You were jealous," he muttered with a smirk.

"Shut up. I was not," she said. It was a blatant lie, and she knew he'd know that.

"Were too," he said proudly. "And you said I'm sexy."

"Oh God," she muttered, burying her face in her hands and leaning into his chest.

"I just didn't know you still cared that much," he said softly. "And you yelling was sexy, too. You know, in a scary sort of way."

"Get out," she teased, pulling away from him. He tugged her arm back towards him and he kissed her again. She felt her heart race in an unfamiliar way, and she thought she just might love that.

"I actually do have to go," he admitted sadly. "As much as I'd love to stay here for round two."

He began towards the door, wondering what the hell just happened between them, but her voice stopped him.

"Where does this leave us?" she asked. He turned back to look at her and took a deep breath.

"With a lot to talk about," he said, knowing she already knew that answer, but that one of them needed to admit it.

She pursed her lips and nodded, offering a small wave as he walked out her door.

He pretended not to see her raise her hand to her lips as he looked at her through the window, and she pretended not to see the wide smile on his face as he started down the sidewalk.

----

The next day, they had all decided to meet at Nathan and Haley's for lunch in the air conditioning, and swimming in the pool. It was something they had been doing a lot of, but with the temperature as high as it was, there was no reason not to, and every reason to take advantage of what they had at their disposal. And since none of them really had to work yet, they could spend their days lazing around instead of working constantly.

Peyton walked into the house and immediately, Grace flew towards Lucas, telling him she'd missed him _so_ much and couldn't wait to swim with him again. And Peyton hated that it made her heart swell when Lucas promised he'd swim with her and save her a bit of the best ice cream.

Since their kiss the day before, all she could think about was him. She felt like a teenager again, obsessing about the cute boy she had a crush on. She'd spent her entire evening replaying their encounter, and while she was mortified for blowing up at him like she did, a part of her was happy that they were both aware that they had a lot of bridges to cross before they could even consider being together. _If_ they could even consider being together.

But she wanted to be with him. Of course she did. And she knew that he wouldn't have kissed her if he didn't want to be with her; not with their history as it was and their relationship already fragile.

"What's going on with those two?" Haley asked Brooke as they watched Lucas and Peyton fall into a seemingly nervous conversation.

"You know as much as I do," Brooke said with a shrug.

"Stop staring, girls," Nathan reprimanded playfully. "It's not polite."

"Do you know anything?" Haley asked, looking up at him.

"I know what that looks like," he said with a smirk, gesturing towards the two blondes. Peyton had her head down and had tucked a curl behind her ear as Lucas stared at her.

"And what's that, exactly?" Brooke asked, though she was sure she already knew the answer.

"Looks like they're two teenagers falling in love with each other with absolutely no idea how to deal with that," he laughed. "Throw in me with a letterman jacket and Haley in a poncho, and you've got junior year all over again."

"Hey!" Brooke cried. "What about me!?"

"You'd be off making out with some random guy," Nathan said, smiling, knowing he'd be in big trouble for that one.

Haley looked between her husband and Brooke, and she could tell by the look on her friend's face and that kinked brow, that Brooke was up to no good. Haley stepped back and watched as Brooke rushed towards Nathan and pushed him backwards into the pool. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in with him, making both kids and all the adults who'd seen the incident laugh.

"Dad!" Jamie shouted when Nathan came up for air. "You're still in your clothes!"

"Yeah, buddy, I am. Your aunt Brooke is just the meanest woman ever," Nathan said, his smirk still firmly in place.

He peeled off his wet tee shirt and threw it onto the deck while Haley tried to regain her composure. Brooke slipped out of the cover-up she'd been wearing and was left in only her two piece swim suit.

"Come on, Gracie," Brooke called. "Get your scrawny butt in here!"

"Only if mommy and Luke come in, too!" she said pleadingly, looking at both of them with her best puppy dog eyes. "_And_ aunt Haley!"

"Come on aunt Haley, pleeease," Brooke sang as she tread water.

"You guys go in. I'm gonna stay here," Peyton said with a smile.

"Mom!" Grace pouted with her hands on her hips.

Lucas looked at Grace over Peyton's shoulder and threw the girl a wink and a smile, then hooked his arm around Peyton's waist and jumped into the water with her shrieking in protest.

Grace and Haley were the only ones still on dry land, and they were laughing uncontrollably as Peyton resurfaced and swatted Lucas hard on the chest.

"Lucas Scott, I hate you!" she cried, but a smile was firmly planted on her lips.

"Oh, no you don't," he insisted, flashing her a dimpled grin, making her roll her eyes.

Peyton was sure that, had no one else been around, she would have kissed him then and there.

Lucas' statement was not lost on the other three adults, making them exchange glances before Haley tugged off her bathing suit cover-up and took Grace's hand to jump in the pool. They all played and laughed together, with Lucas and Nathan tossing the kids through the air while they giggled and splashed into the pool.

Peyton was standing at the edge of the pool, with her elbows up and holding her in place against the wall while everyone else played. Lucas swam over and mimicked her position, and she offered him a small smile.

"Good to be home, huh?" he asked knowingly.

"You have no idea," she said softly, watching her daughter laugh at something Nathan said.

Lucas bumped his shoulder against Peyton's and smiled again, and she wasn't sure she'd ever truly felt better. Her best friends and her daughter all in the same place at the same time. Lucas....

"Ugh," she groaned, just trying to break the tension between them, "I'm all wrinkly. I'm getting out."

"Alright," he laughed, watching as Nathan was attacked by the girls as Jamie laughed.

She swam to the steps, and as she walked out of the pool in her black bikini, Lucas could have sworn he was living in a beer commercial. He watched as she shook her arms slightly and then wrung out her hair. She was absolutely the sexiest woman he'd ever seen. He didn't take his eyes off her until she'd gone inside the house, something that didn't go unnoticed by his best friend.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Haley suggested as she took the place Peyton had vacated.

"What? I just did?" he pointed out.

"I feel like I'm in freshman year again with you right now," she laughed. "Honestly, Luke, just go in and talk to her about whatever it is that's got you all distracted."

He didn't say anything, just drifted back to that vision of her emerging from the pool. Apparently so many years of friendship let Haley know that he was thinking impure thoughts.

"Okay, perv, not _that_ distraction," she teased. "Go! Please! Because Brooke is about to come over here and she won't be as discrete as I'm being."

"Alright!" he said with a smile. "Going."

He pulled himself up out of the pool and grabbed a towel from the stack that was near the door to dry himself off quickly before stepping into the house.

"Peyt?" he called. "Peyton!"

He got no answer, so he just figured she was upstairs or something, and decided to change. He grabbed his dry clothes from where they sat in the living room and made his way to the bathroom.

When he pushed open the door, he didn't expect to see a half naked woman or hear a startled shriek of his name.

"I'm so sorry!" he cried, pulling the door closed as he went back into the hall. "God, Peyton, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," she insisted quickly. "I should have locked it."

"I...I should have...have knocked," he stammered. He couldn't say he minded seeing her that way, but he would have rather it be voluntary.

"Lucas," she said calmly from the other side of the door. "Come in here."

"I uh...What?" he asked, though his hand was already on the doorknob.

"Just come in," she said again with a laugh. She pulled the door open before he could, and stood in front of him in her shorts and one tank top more than she'd been wearing when he pushed the door open the first time.

"Hi," he mumbled.

"Get in here," she said, tugging his arm towards her and pushing the door closed.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously. None of this made any sense to him, but he thought he might be crazy to question it.

"Don't get weird on me," she warned with a raised brow and a hint of a smile. "It's nothing you haven't seen before, right?"

"I...well...I guess," he stuttered. And now he was thinking about all he'd seen before...

"That! Stop that," she insisted, hoisting herself up on the counter.

"I'm sorry!" he repeated, smirking as he ran a hand over his face. "I just tend to get a little tongue tied when I see a beautiful woman without her shirt on."

"Luke!"

"Whatever, you know you're amazing," he admonished.

"Ugh!" she groaned, throwing her head back.

"What?" he asked, moving to stand in front of her. It was all he could do not to push her legs apart and stand between them.

"This is bad."

"What's bad?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"This! God, I can't be within 10 feet of you and I want to..." Her voice trailed and he noticed her cheeks turn pink.

"What?" he asked, smirking at her.

"I want to do things to you that I can't do with my daughter around," she said softly, making him laugh.

He moved to stand in front of her, and she let him stand between her knees, much to his pleasure. He had always loved that; she'd perch herself on the counter in her kitchen and he'd stand between her legs and they'd talk or laugh or kiss. It was one of the things he missed most about her.

"She's not around right now," he said in a low voice as he let his hands fall to her thighs.

He was still wearing only his board shorts, his towel dropped in the hallway before he'd entered the bathroom. She draped her arms over his shoulders and glanced down at his bare torso. She was aware that this wasn't what they needed; secret rendezvous in their friends' bathroom. But she'd wanted to kiss him since the day before, and this was her opportunity to do it again.

She pulled him closer to her and saw him smile just before he pressed his lips to hers. And if their kiss the day before was all sweet and gentle, this one was certainly the complete opposite. Her hands ran through his wet hair, and he pulled her as close to him as he could. This was laboured breathing and a feeling in his chest he couldn't explain but couldn't get enough of. This was his fingertips sneaking just underneath the fabric of her shorts at her thighs. This was her hands on his bare skin and her legs on either side of him.

"This isn't us talking," she said, as he began running his lips along her collar bone. He tucked the tips of his fingers just below the waistband of her shorts at the small of her back, and she took a deep breath. It had been a long time since anyone had come close to the waistband of her shorts...

"This is more fun," he mumbled, making her laugh.

His lips found hers again, and his hand traveled to the back of her head just like it used to. She whimpered (the good kind) when his tongue met hers, and when they parted again to breathe, she smiled at him.

"Way more fun," she said breathlessly.

He just laughed and moved to kiss her again, but they were interrupted.

"Mommy!"

"Ohhh," Peyton groaned, resting her forehead against his and closing her eyes. "I so should have expected that."

"So, mom, how are you going to explain this?" he asked, breathing heavily, but not ready to pull away from her just yet.

"First of all, you do _not_ get to call me mom," she warned with a raised brow.

"Mom! Where are my shorts!?" came that muffled little voice again.

"I'm going out. You stay here. Lock the door," she insisted, pushing him away and hopping off the counter.

She slipped out into the hall and he did as he was told, flipping the lock. He stood for a moment, resting his hands on the counter and trying to wipe the smirk off his face. He was sure it was a futile endeavor.

As soon as Peyton stepped into the living room, she was met with a suspicious glare from both her daughter and her best friend.

"Where were you?" Grace asked.

"Yeah, where were you?" Brooke asked, though she certainly noted the absence of a certain other blonde.

"Just changing," Peyton said vaguely, taking Grace's hand in hers. "Come on, let's get your clothes."

Brooke watched as Peyton led Grace up the stairs, and she knew something more was going on. Then when she saw Lucas step out of the bathroom, fully clothed and smiling, she knew exactly what had happened. She just raised an eyebrow and grinned at him, and he turned beet red. It was confirmation of what she already knew, but it still made her giddy to know that finally something had happened between those two.

She didn't care that they were jumping in feet first and throwing caution to the wind. She thought that maybe that was exactly what they needed; just forget about the issues for a bit and remember what it felt like to be together. She just hoped they'd come to their senses sooner rather than later.


	6. Chapter 6

Three days passed and Peyton hadn't heard from or seen Lucas, and she couldn't say she was too upset about that. Of course, she wanted to see him, but there was just so much going on, and she needed to figure out what they were doing before she saw him again and things escalated even more. She was well aware that a physical relationship should have been completely off limits, but she just couldn't help herself around him. Since their encounter in Nathan and Haley's bathroom - which she still blushed over every time she thought of it - all she could think was how things couldn't go any further without them talking about everything.

Lucas wanted to see her. He didn't stop wanting to see her. He wanted to hear her voice and be around her and stand in front of her so he could see those eyes and that smile she got when she was nervous.

He decided after enough time had passed - three long, excruciating days - that he was going to seek her out. He just couldn't stay away. He found himself on her doorstep, in casual clothes, necessary due to the temperature spike, knocking on the door. Her SUV was in the driveway, but no one came to the door, so he just pushed it open and stepped inside.

Lucas walked into the house and he could hear the beat of some seemingly underground hip hop music coming from the kitchen. He called out for her, but got no response. He tried again, only to be met with silence and some rap lyrics, but not Peyton's voice. He wandered through to the kitchen very, very pleased to see her in a tiny pair of black cotton shorts and a black tank top. There were inches of her tanned stomach showing between the top of her shorts and the bottom of her shirt, and it just looked all the more tantalizing as she shook her hips slightly to the music.

He took a moment just to watch her. Her body had changed subtly over the years. She was still as slim as always, but her hips had widened slightly and her curves had filled out in the most perfect ways. She was sexy as hell, and it was taking every ounce of restraint in him to stop himself from pinning her against the counter and attacking her lips.

He cleared his throat loudly, calling her attention to him as he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed and smirking.

"Luke!" she shouted, pressing her hand over her heart. "Oh my God! You scared me!"

"Sorry," he laughed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked bluntly, pouring herself a glass of the iced tea she'd just mixed.

"Just admiring the view," he muttered, low enough that she couldn't hear.

"What?" she asked with a confused look. "You want some iced tea?"

"Sure," he answered, sitting on a stool at the counter across from her, thankful she hadn't asked him to repeat himself. Her legs disappeared from his view as she came to stand in front of him with the counter separating them. To say he was disappointed would be an understatement.

"So really," she asked, handing him a glass. "What's up?"

"I was just passing by," he lied. "Thought I'd stop in and say hi. Where's Gracie?"

"She's staying with aunt Brooke in the air conditioning for the night," she said with a smirk.

"And you didn't want to take advantage of that?" he asked after taking a sip of his drink. She had been right all those years ago, his favourite things did taste yummier with her around.

"Trust me, when you have a child, any time you can get to yourself, you take," she laughed. "If that means I have to strip naked to be able to bear the heat, then so be it."

She had said the words before she could realize what she'd said and to whom. After their 'mishap' at Nathan and Haley's, she should probably have been more selective in the words she chose.

As soon as she said the words 'strip naked' his mind went into a tailspin that he knew she'd recognize. He didn't care. If she knew that he was thinking of her that way, it didn't matter. He'd done it many times before, and he knew she'd see that look in his eyes that he always got when he was thinking less-than-pure thoughts.

But they both knew that was dangerous territory. They still hadn't talked about any of the issues they both knew surrounded them. And yet, ever since that first kiss days and days ago, all he could think of was doing it again, and again, and again.

"Luke," she said softly after a couple moments of silence and just looking at one another.

He'd lost his nerve. Anything he'd come over for was completely forgotten. He knew that if he didn't leave now, he wouldn't be able to control himself.

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I uh...Thanks for the iced tea. I should probably head home."

He got up to leave, but she couldn't let him. She couldn't let him leave when he looked so damn good in his basketball shorts and white tee shirt. The heat wave had affected them all, and she was well aware of how she looked, but she didn't care with him. She wanted him to view her as something other than a mom; she hadn't felt that way in a long time, but she found herself constantly feeling that way around him.

"Wait," she called as he made his way to the kitchen door way. "You don't have to go."

"Don't I?" he asked, turning to look at her.

She shook her head gently, letting her pony tail sway. Then she bit her lip in a way that was somehow both adorable and completely, heart-stoppingly sexy. He walked towards her almost too quickly, and without a second thought, pressed her body against the counter with his, lowering his lips onto hers before she had a chance to protest. She was surprised in a very, very good way, and after the shock wore off, she reciprocated. She nipped at his bottom lip gently, knowing damn well he loved it when she did that, and she grinned when he growled from low in his throat. He parted her lips, though it didn't take much effort, and she held him closer when she felt his tongue against her own. They parted only to breathe, and he rest his forehead against hers.

"Sorry," he muttered breathlessly.

"Are you?" she whispered, her eyes still closed and reeling from the sensation of his lips on hers.

"Not really," he said with a laugh. The last thing he needed in this heat was Peyton whispering sexy things to him.

She took a deep breath and he moved away from her. What had gotten in to him, he wondered. He'd just done the one thing he'd warned himself not to do.

"That's not what I came for," he said lamely, before realizing just how stupid a statement it was. "I mean...I really didn't expect..._that_...to happen."

"Lucas," she said in a sultry tone that made the hair on his neck stand on end.

"I'm gonna go," he said softly, turning away from her.

"Could you shut up for like, two seconds?" she said with attitude, making him turn back around again. "_God_, I've missed you."

"Peyton," he said softly.

"No, Luke. I have missed you every day we've been apart," she insisted, walking towards him again. "So if you'd just be quiet and kiss me again, I'm pretty sure that'd be okay."

"Pretty sure?" he asked with a smirk, echoing the words he had said to her in one of their earliest conversations. The sentiment was not lost on her. His hands cupped her face again and he pressed his lips to hers.

Neither knew how long they stood there in her kitchen, kissing like they used to as teenagers. Neither was sure where it was going - if it was going anywhere - but neither cared. They each just wanted the closeness they felt when they were together; that spark that had somehow never gone out, even after all the time and space away from one another.

If it was hot out already, their actions certainly didn't help matters. He moved to kiss her neck, and he could taste the salt of her perspiration, which only spurred him on more. The soft moans she was occasionally letting out heated him to a point that was near unbearable. He had just slipped his hands beneath her shirt to caress her back when they heard the front door open again.

They pulled away from each other quickly and she gently rubbed her swollen lips, looking at him as he hung his head and braced himself against the counter in front of him. They both struggled to steady their breathing and regain their composure before the visitor came into the room.

"Hey Sawyer," Nathan said happily, before seeing that she already had company. "Oh. Hey Luke."

"What's up, Nate?" Peyton's attempt to be nonchalant had failed, and she could tell he suspected something was going on.

"Haley and Jamie kicked me out of the house while they work on my birthday present," he said with a smile, just thinking of his wife and son. "So I brought an ice cold six pack and I thought we could hang out."

"That sounds perfect," she laughed, catching the beer he pulled from the pack and tossed to her. _'Perfect'_ may have been an exaggeration, but _'get the hell out so I can make out with your brother' _seemed a little harsh.

"Luke," Nathan called.

Lucas spun around quickly, his mind clearly having been in another place. Nathan offered him a beer and he accepted it with a smile. Peyton put the rest of the bottles in the fridge, and that's when Nathan noticed the red mark on her neck. He sent Lucas a knowing smirk, and the blonde brother just rolled his eyes.

As much as Nathan knew that the two of them were meant to be together, and as much as he wanted them to be together, he was well aware that a physical reunion wasn't what they needed. Well, it wasn't _all_ they needed. They needed to talk about what had happened all those years ago, and what their lives had been like since they last saw each other. But he also knew that when it came to Lucas and Peyton, there were no rules, and they were going to do whatever the hell they wanted to, no matter how irrational it was.

"Seriously, Sawyer, it's like an oven in this place," Nathan said, breaking the tension in the room. It was clear he'd interrupted something, and though he felt badly, he was kind of glad he could stop whatever they were starting and give them a chance to think about it.

"Yeah, well, not everyone has central air," she scoffed as they moved to the living room. There were still a few boxes scattered throughout the room, but she had deemed it too hot to continue the work.

"You should get it," Nathan warned. "Seriously, you can't live like this."

"You make it sound like I'm some poor, suffering woman!" she shouted teasingly. "Besides, I just moved in here. It's not like I've had time to get that all sorted out, Nathan."

"I'll give you the name of my heating and cooling guy. He can give you a quote at least," Nathan offered.

"You have a heating and cooling guy?" Lucas laughed.

"What? I also have a paving guy, a plumbing guy, and electrical guy..." he listed, counting his 'guys' off on his fingers.

Peyton and Lucas exchanged a look as Nathan spoke, both inwardly laughing at him. It, by all accounts, should have been awkward. They'd been basically caught making out by his brother. She had a hickie on her neck like some careless teenager, and she and Lucas hadn't technically had a proper conversation about any of the issues they knew they needed to face. But it wasn't awkward at all. In fact, it was comfortable. She was with two of the people who knew her better than anyone.

"It's seriously hot in here, though," Lucas pointed out. Nathan resisted the urge to make a crude comment to the both of them.

"Oh my God!" she shouted as she stood and put a hand on her hip. "Get up."

"What?" Nathan asked, looking at Lucas with a scared look on his face.

"I can't handle two babies complaining all day, so I'm going to put a stop to it right now. So _get up_," she demanded, making her way towards the back door.

"Dude, what the hell?" Nathan asked quietly as he and his brother stood.

"I don't know what she's doing," Lucas said with a shrug.

"Not that, you moron," Nathan reprimanded with a smirk. "You two."

Lucas could only shrug as the two of them walked into the backyard to see Peyton wielding a hose in one hand and sipping her beer with the other. She contemplated spraying the both of them, and the horrified looks on their faces told her that was exactly what they'd expected. She started filling the kiddie pool with cold water and told them to grab lawn chairs.

"What are you doing, exactly?" Nathan asked, setting up a chair for himself and one for Peyton.

"We're going white trash. Sipping beer on lawn chairs with our feet in a plastic kiddie pool," she explained with a smile, before cocking her eyebrow to threaten them. "And if you sissies want to bitch about it, you can just leave right now."

"You really are something else," Lucas teased. "You'd think a refined artist type would have a little more class."

Nathan saw the look on Peyton's face change and he knew what she was about to do, so he ran away from his brother quickly. She lifted the spray of the hose and soaked Lucas completely before he even realized what had happened. Nathan began to laugh uncontrollably at his brother, standing with his arms outstretched and shaking water droplets from his body. Peyton had an accomplished grin on her face, and when Lucas looked at her questioningly, she just shrugged and went back to filling the pool.

"You are so dead," he claimed.

"I'm the one with the hose," she threatened. "Don't make me do it again."

"It's actually kind of nice," he insisted, taking a seat and dipping his feet into the water. When she sprayed him again, he realized that maybe he shouldn't have said it. He wiped the water from his face as Peyton and Nathan laughed. "_Seriously_?"

"What?" she asked innocently.

Nathan had moved behind her and shot a wink to Lucas behind her back. In one swift motion, he'd grabbed the hose from her, and as soon as she had spun around, she was soaked, back to front, head to toe. Both Lucas and Nathan were laughing at the shocked look on her face, until it turned into a very pissed off one.

"I hate you, Nathan Scott," she scowled.

"Oh, come on," he said, tilting his head. "If you're gonna dish it out, you gotta be able to take it back."

"I got _him_, not _you_!" she shouted, pointing to Lucas, who was watching the exchange contentedly as he sipped his beer.

"Blood is thicker than water, baby," Nathan teased, recoiling the hose on its stand next to the house, and bumping fists with Lucas on his way back to his chair.

Lucas had been witness to a few Nathan/Peyton showdowns in their younger days, but watching them now, it was more like a sibling rivalry and it made him realize just how far they'd come, that they could play around this way. He was well aware, as he was sure they were, that they were acting like teenagers again.

She pulled the elastic from her wet hair and brushed her fingers through it before pulling it back into a messy knot. Nathan watched as Lucas looked on, clearly lusting after the woman before them. She tipped back her beer and drained what was left of its contents, making Nathan laugh again at how she hadn't changed since high school - still drinking the way he taught her to.

"Need another?" she asked them both as she stood from her place and walked to the door.

"Actually, I really should probably get going," Lucas said. The look of disappointment on her face made him grin.

"You don't have to," she said, repeating her earlier words.

"I need dry clothes, and my place has A/C," he teased, laughing as she rolled her eyes. "Later, Nate. See you tomorrow."

"Later," Nathan called out.

"I'll walk you out," Peyton offered, following him into the house.

She could not stop herself from staring at the way his wet tee shirt clung to his back, showing off his muscular build. She wanted to pull the material off him completely. She inwardly cursed Nathan for having the worst timing known to man.

"I um..." he stuttered, turning around when they reached the front door of her house.

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by her lips on his. He unconsciously moaned at the feel of her still wet body pressing against him and her tongue against his. He had to pull away before it was too late - much more of that and he knew things would have gone to only somewhat a bad idea, to the two of them stumbling upstairs to her bedroom.

"Okay," he said breathlessly. "I was going to apologize for kissing you, but I guess I don't have to."

"Sorry," she whispered as he took in her flushed appearance. "It's probably good that Nathan came over."

"If you say so," he said, his voice thick with lust. "I'm gonna go have a cold shower."

"Overshare," she teased, lightly grazing his stomach as she ran her hands along the top of his shorts.

"Not when you're the one making me have to do it," he muttered. She bit her lip and slipped one finger beneath the waistband at his hip and heard him take a sharp breath. "Seriously. Stop."

"Do I have to?" she asked, leaning into him to kiss along his jaw line.

"Peyton," he protested. It came out in a whisper, certainly not portraying the meaning he'd intended. She pressed her lips to his one last time.

"You're right." She pulled away completely and leaned against the wall next to the door with a few feet between them. "See ya," she added nonchalantly with a bright smile.

"Was that...? Did you...?" he asked, squinting as he realized the cruel trick she'd played.

"That's what you get for making Nathan spray me," she said with a raised brow and a shrug of her shoulder.

He closed the distance between them and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You, Peyton Sawyer, are a tease."

"What are you gonna do about it," she asked, trying not to show what effect his proximity was having on her.

"You're lucky Nathan's here," he mumbled against her skin as his tongue grazed her earlobe and he nibbled it gently, just like she always used to love. Judging by the breath she took and the way she angled her head, she still did.

"If you say so," she whispered. He pulled away and smirked at her like he'd just won a prize.

"See ya, Peyt.," he said with a wink as he headed out the door and down her front steps.

She watched as he tugged the wet material off his torso and tucked his shirt into the back of the waistband of his shorts. She knew he had done it to deliberately torture her. She had once told him that his back was her favourite feature of his. She used to run her fingers down his spine as he lay on his stomach, or insist on massaging him whether he wanted it or not. She would give anything to go back in time and lock her door before Nathan could stop in.

She took a moment to compose herself before returning to the yard with two more beers for her and her guest. She did her best not to show her resentment.

"Longest friendly goodbye ever," he pointed out, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh God," she groaned. "Shut up!"

"You are blushing," he said, pointing at her as he laughed.

"I am not!" she insisted, bringing her hands to her face.

"You are. You're blushing because you _looove_ him," he teased before taking a sip of his beer.

"Stop it," she said seriously.

"Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands in defeat. A few seconds passed, and he just couldn't help himself. "Nice hickie, by the way."

"Nathan!" she shouted indignantly, only serving to make him laugh harder.

"I'm stopping, alright? I was just wondering..." his voice trailed.

"What?" she asked quietly, encouraging him to continue. He had actually made it sound as though he might be sincere.

"I was just wondering...well...if you need me to hose you down with cold water..." he said, laughing at the expression it put on her face.

"I really, _really_ hate you right now," she scowled.

"Oh, come on," he said playfully. "Who else do you know who'd be willing to be all white trash with you? You think you'd get Brooke out here sipping Bud and dipping her toes in hose water?"

She rolled her eyes, conceding defeat. She knew he was right. And frankly, she knew that she deserved a good ribbing over whatever it was that just happened between she and Lucas. She couldn't shake the feeling that a few kisses and a bit of playful teasing was just the tip of the iceberg. She still felt her stomach flutter when she thought of his gravelly voice in her ear.

"So come on, Sawyer," he said after a few minutes. "You've only been back, what? Not even two weeks? You want to tell me what's going on with you and my brother?"

"Not really," she said, closing her eyes and resting her head back on the chair. "It's nothing, anyway."

"Can I call bullshit on that?" he laughed. She looked across at him and saw that stupid grin. "Damn, Peyton, I've never met anyone more afraid of their own feelings than you."

"Umm," she drawled out. "How about you, 10 years ago?"

"Whatever. Not the same." He brushed off her comment before raising his beer to his lips again.

"Please!" she shouted. "You didn't even tell me you actually _liked_ me until we'd gone out four times, and even then you were wasted and I'm pretty sure you just wanted to stick your tongue down my throat."

"Ahh," he said, smiling at the memory. "Good times."

"Perv," she muttered.

"Prude," he said pointedly, with a raised brow.

"Okay, you know I'm not a prude," she insisted.

"Yes. I. Do," he said with a accomplished grin.

"I can't talk to you," she said, getting flustered at his little trip down memory lane, which she technically had started, but that didn't matter.

"Yes you can," he said sympathetically. "Come on, it's you and Luke."

"Exactly why it's nothing," she pointed out.

"Again, that's total BS and you know it," he said, raising his voice slightly to get his point across. "You know that when Lindsey left him, it was because she assumed he was still in love with you?"

"What?!" she shouted.

"Jeez, Brooke's your best friend and you don't have that bit of information?" he laughed. The glare she sent him told him to elaborate on the story. "He'd just finished his book - you know, the one about the comet - and I guess she was over at our place the day of the wedding and saw a picture of all of us in front of your car."

"So?" she shrugged.

"Peyton, what kind of car did you drive," he asked, as though she should have already figured it out. He saw her eyes meet his again and he raised his brow. "And what was the first day you and Lucas ever spoke?"

"Fuck," she muttered. It was a rare occasion when she used that four letter word, but this time, it was warranted.

"That was pretty much my response too, except I couldn't say it out loud because we were in a church," he said before taking another sip of his beer. "Peyton, the guy's always had a thing for you, even when he didn't want to admit it."

"So what?" she said. "He also left me after proposing."

"And you were just making out with him in your damn kitchen!" he retorted. "If you're trying to let on that you don't want to let him in, that's kind of a strange move, Peyton."

She thought for a moment, and he was absolutely right. She couldn't avoid Lucas any more, and maybe she didn't want to. She had told herself that she was just protecting Grace, but truthfully, she was protecting her own heart and the pain he could potentially cause her. But Grace loved Lucas, and Peyton would be lying if she said she didn't love him too.

"I _really_ don't like you," she muttered, trying to hide her smile as Nathan laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

By the time Saturday rolled around, the temperature had started to drop little by little, going back to a normal degree for the time of year. A late summer day, Grace and Peyton were sitting in the back yard together. Peyton was drawing while Grace ran through the sprinkler giggling. It still amazed Peyton how much joy kids could get just from a hose and a little plastic attachment. Hours of entertainment.

Peyton hadn't seen Lucas since the day he showed up and things got heated in her kitchen. She was glad. She knew that every single time she saw him, they should have been talking about what was going on, not...well, doing what they were doing. There was so much to say and she was sure that neither of them knew where to start. So she didn't seek him out, and he didn't seek her out, and that was alright for the time being. She wasn't going anywhere, and so they had plenty of time to work it out.

She didn't expect, when she was lost in her sketch and music and the sound of her daughter's laughter, to see the Scott brothers, plus Jamie, walk around the side of her house. If she _had_ expected it, she wouldn't have been lounging in just her bathing suit.

"Do you have a problem with clothes, Sawyer?" Nathan teased. "Every time I see you, you're in a bikini."

"It's _hot_ out!" she cried, laughing as they all watched Grace running towards them.

"Hi!" she said happily, wrapping herself in the towel Peyton held out for her.

"Hey Grace, what's up?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing," she shrugged. "Just playing."

"School starts soon, huh? Better get all your playing in now," he pointed out, making both Jamie and Grace grimace.

"Yeah," she muttered.

"Well," Nathan chimed in, "Luke and I are taking Jamie to Wilmington to see a Slamball game today, and we have an extra ticket. If it's okay with your mom, you want to come with us?"

"What's Slamball?" Peyton and Grace asked at the same time.

"It's so cool!" Jamie insisted. "It's basketball with trampolines and you can hit and stuff!"

"That sounds...ridiculous," Peyton laughed, standing from her chair so she could meet Lucas and Nathan's eyes.

"It's pretty awesome, actually," Lucas said, laughing as Nathan nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, what time do you have to go?" Peyton asked.

"Game doesn't start till 4:00, so we were just going to leave whenever and just kind of hang out. Maybe grab some food and stuff," Nathan explained.

"What do you think, Grace?" Peyton asked, turning to her daughter. "You want to hang out with the boys today?"

"Can I?" she asked excitedly.

"If you want to, it's okay with me," Peyton insisted. "But we need to get you some proper clothes and do something with that crazy hair of yours."

"It _is_ pretty crazy, Gracie," Lucas teased, watching as the girl's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide, making him laugh.

"Yeah, well, Jamie said _you_ had a mohawk once," she retorted, putting her hands on her hips.

"What?!" Peyton cried before turning to Nathan. "_Tell me_ you got pictures!"

"Of course I did! How else was I supposed to blackmail him?" Nathan said, watching as Lucas shook his head in embarrassment.

"Awesome," she said as they started up the steps and into the house. "I expect to see those at a later date."

"Okay look, in my defense, I was..." Lucas started.

"No excuses, man," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Okay, boys, try not to kill each other. We'll be back in a few minutes," Peyton laughed. "There are drinks in the fridge if you want. Just help yourselves."

The boys took places at the kitchen counter after grabbing apple juice boxes from the fridge. Peyton could tell how excited they were to see this game by the boyish looks on all their faces. Lucas and Nathan looked like the 16 year old boys she knew once upon a time. Smiling and laughing like they didn't have jobs and responsibilities. She had to say she was a little bit jealous of that. She wished she could just let everything else go and enjoy something so simple.

"What do I wear to a basketball game?" Grace asked, standing in front of her closet.

"Whatever you want, kiddo," Peyton laughed. "There's no dress code."

"What would Brooke wear?"

"A cheerleading uniform," Peyton said half-seriously.

"I don't have one of those," Grace pointed out.

"How about...your Beatles tee shirt and these jean shorts," Peyton said with a laugh, pulling the items from the hangers and giving them to Grace. "Get changed, and I'll do your hair when you're done. I'm going to go put something on, too."

"Okay mom," Grace said as Peyton made her way out of the room and tugged the door closed.

She went to her own room and reached for a simple black cotton sundress to put on over the green bikini she was wearing. She certainly didn't need Lucas' lingering looks, and if he'd thought she hadn't noticed his staring when they'd shown up, he was mistaken. She took a moment to check her hair and makeup, and then Grace stood in her doorway with her hairbrush in her hand. She brushed the girl's wavy hair and pulled it in to a ponytail before they went downstairs again.

They both laughed when they walked into the kitchen and saw Jamie and the two grown men sipping from juice boxes, all lined up as they waited at the counter.

"What?" Lucas asked obliviously.

"You Scott men are all so cute," Peyton said, not really teasingly at all.

"You ready?" Nathan asked Grace, brushing off the comment.

"Yup. Let's go," Grace said, starting towards the front door.

"Hey!" Peyton cried, putting a hand on her hip.

"Oh. Sorry mom," Grace said, rushing back to Peyton and giving her a hug. The two of them exchanged words that none of the men could hear, and then Grace headed for the door again with Nathan and Jamie in tow.

"Luke, you coming?" Nathan called.

"Yeah, give me a minute," Lucas answered before turning to Peyton again. "I just wanted to tell you that I know we need to talk before anything else happens."

"Yeah, we do," she nodded. She was thankful that he brought it up, because she didn't want to have to be the one to do it. "Listen, buy whatever for her, and I'll just pay you back later, okay?"

"Peyton," he said with a smile. "Stop dodging me."

"I'm not dodging you!" she said, swatting at his arm. "Nathan's waiting for you. We'll talk. I promise."

"Tomorrow? I know Brooke is taking Grace," he said, watching as she narrowed her eyes, wondering how he knew her plans.

"Alright. Tomorrow. Go watch Slamball," she said, smirking as he headed out of the house and towards the car where three very excited people were waiting for him.

She stood in the doorway and waved as the car pulled away from the curb, seeing Grace and Jamie laughing in the back seat at something Lucas said. He was certainly making it easy for her to think that just maybe they might have a future together.

She stepped back into her empty house, and took a quick look around. She suddenly had the whole day to herself, and had no idea what to do with it. She couldn't say she hated the idea of just spending the entire day with Grace, sitting in the sun and hearing her laugh, but she knew there were still a few boxes she'd put off unpacking, and if she was being honest, the quiet sounded almost as good as anything else.

About two and a half hours later, she had emptied the last of the boxes. She was just putting the rest of the photo albums onto the shelf in her living room when there was a knock at the door. She was actually thankful. The one thing she'd learned after having a child was, yes, alone time was wonderful, but she found she got bored or restless really quickly.

She walked to the door to find Haley standing on the other side.

"You know, you don't have to knock," she laughed as she ushered Haley into the house.

"I didn't want to just jump to conclusions," Haley said with a shrug. "I was going crazy at home by myself, so I thought you might be doing the same thing over here."

"I was, absolutely," Peyton laughed. "Since the guys highjacked the kids."

"You know," Haley started, smiling, "the way you say that makes it sound like Luke is..."

"Don't!" Peyton said with a laugh. "Please! Don't even go there."

"Oh come on, you are _so_ already there," Haley scoffed as they walked through to the kitchen. "Nathan said you had a hickie the other day. So either you've been making out with Lucas, or you've been making out with someone else, and either way, I want to hear _all_ about it."

"Your husband is far too nosey for his own good," Peyton said with a raised brow, reaching for the refrigerator door.

"Maybe so, but I didn't hear you say that you didn't, in fact, have a hickie that Lucas gave you," Haley said, smiling widely.

"You feel like a margarita? I feel like a margarita," Peyton said, reaching for the bottle of tequila from the top cabinet.

"Peyton Sawyer! Come on!"

"What?" Peyton asked, feigning oblivion.

"You know what? Yes, _make_ margaritas, because a few of those, and you'll tell me everything," Haley laughed.

"Ugh," Peyton groaned as she started filling her blender. "Sometimes, all I want to do is just look at him and say, forget everything else, let's just do this. And then I think of everything that's happened and it's like..."

"There's too much to ignore," Haley finished sympathetically.

"Exactly," Peyton said.

"Well, don't kill me for saying it, but you might want to dial back the make out sessions," Haley said with a smirk.

"I know! But..."

"But when have you and Lucas ever been able to resist each other," Haley said knowingly.

"Something like that," Peyton nodded. She turned the blender on and a few moments later, was pouring their drinks into glasses. She pushed one across the counter to Haley.

"Mmm," Haley mumbled after taking a sip. "Honestly, you are the queen of alcoholic drinks."

"Not bad for a mom, right?" Peyton laughed.

"Pretty impressive," Haley said. She raised her glass and clinked it against Peyton's, and they shared a quiet glance, each thankful to have the other around again. "But back to you and Luke. What are you gonna do?"

"We're going to talk tomorrow. Brooke's taking Grace out for the day, so I guess he's going to come over," Peyton said nervously. "I don't know what's going to happen."

"Just be honest with each other, Peyton," Haley said sweetly. "There's nothing more you can really do. But you _have_ to be honest or things are just going to get worse, not better."

"I know," Peyton nodded. "It's just...Why does it always have to be so hard with us. Shouldn't it be easier?"

"Love's never easy, Peyton. Look at Nathan and I," Haley said, shaking her head. "If we just walked away any time things got a little tough or tense, we'd never have even gotten married in the first place."

"Why didn't I just say yes, Haley?" Peyton asked desperately, running her hands through her hair. "Eight years ago in L.A. Why didn't I just say yes?"

"Because that wasn't the path you were meant to take. If you had said yes, sure, you'd be married to Lucas by now, but you wouldn't have Grace. You wouldn't be this amazingly strong working mom who has just about everything she ever wanted. And I get it, you want love, and you might want Luke, but I think you two just needed to grow up and do your own things before you could get it together."

"I guess," Peyton mumbled. "I mean, I wouldn't give Grace up for anything."

"Your guys' love was always just so...huge. Maybe you just needed to kind of...grow into it," Haley said seriously.

"Maybe."

The two of them sat for a couple hours, moving on to lighter topics. Haley explained that she'd help her with whatever teaching stuff she might need advice on, and would help her navigate through her first week of dealing with teenagers and faculty alike. Haley left after the two of them had ordered and eaten Chinese food and just spent the day catching up.

Peyton was in her pajamas watching a Terms of Endearment on television, crying like a baby, given the subject matter, when she saw Nathan's SUV pull up in front of her house. She wiped her eyes as she watched Lucas lift Grace out of the car and set her on her feet. He said something to Nathan, then shut the door and followed Grace up the walk to the house as Nathan drove away. Lucas stepped into the house and took one look at Peyton and his entire demeanor changed.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing," she said, waving off his concern as she wiped at her cheek again. "Just watching a sad movie. How was it?"

"So fun!" Grace said excitedly. "It was so cool. Nathan knows one of the players, and we got to go onto the court and jump on the trampolines and stuff!"

"Whoa! Cool!" Peyton said enthusiastically, watching as Lucas laughed. "We should get you to bed, though. It's pretty late."

"Can Luke tuck me in, too?" she asked innocently.

"Oh, sweetie, I don't know if..."

"Sure I can," he said with a smile before turning to Peyton. "If that's okay, I mean."

"Of course it is," Peyton said softly. "Why don't you go up and get your jammies on and brush your teeth, and call us when you're ready."

"Okay," Grace said as she made her way to the stairs.

As soon as Grace had disappeared, Lucas turned to Peyton with a worried look on his face. "What movie?" he asked.

"Terms of Endearment," she admitted sheepishly.

"Peyton," he said quietly, shaking his head. "You can't watch that."

"I know. But it was on, and I haven't seen it since I watched it with you when we were... and...yeah. Won't be doing that again," she admitted.

"Well, it's a good thing The Notebook, A Walk to Remember or My Girl weren't on," he said with a smirk, knowing that those were the only movies she'd ever admitted to crying over.

"Add P.S. I Love You to that list," she said quietly.

"Good to know," he laughed.

"So thanks for taking her with you guys today. You really didn't have to do that." She was just desperate for a subject change, and she figured that was the safest one.

"Oh come on, it was fun," he insisted. "We had a great time. She's just like you, you know."

"Uh oh," Peyton muttered self deprecatingly.

He was just about to say something when Grace's voice called them. As Lucas followed Peyton up the stairs, he felt like he was getting a taste of the life he could have had. Following his wife into their child's bedroom to say goodnight, before the two of them went back downstairs to cuddle and talk on the sofa until their own bedtime. It was what he'd so desperately wanted - still wanted - and he was beginning to feel like maybe someday they'd get there.

Grace was already laying in bed, waiting for them to come and say goodnight. Lucas watched from the doorway as Peyton pulled the elastic from the girl's hair to let it loose, and fixed the pillows and blankets just like he assumed she did every night.

"Luke, come on," she demanded sweetly, making him smile as he stepped into the room and sat on the side of the bed opposite Peyton. "Thanks for taking me with you guys today."

"Any time, sweetie," he said sincerely. "I'm glad you had fun."

"Okay sleepyhead," Peyton said, noticing that Grace was doing her best to stifle a yawn. "Get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you, too mommy," she said as Peyton leaned down to kiss her forehead before standing from the bed. "'Night Luke."

"Goodnight Grace," Lucas said softly. He kissed her cheek as Peyton looked on, on the verge of tears again at how attentive he was to her daughter.

Peyton flipped on the night light in the hall before Lucas joined her and she tugged the door three-quarters of the way closed. She smiled at them as they started down the stairs again, and she turned to him when they reached her front door.

"Walking home?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. I kind of like these muggy summer nights, you know?"

"I remember," she said softly.

They used to spend these nights together on the beach or at the River Court. They'd hold hands and talk and tease each other. Or they'd just sit in silence and enjoy each others' company.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," he said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Right," she sighed. "See you tomorrow."

As soon as he'd left and she'd locked the door behind him, she started to cry again. She couldn't shake the feeling that their conversation wasn't going to go well. At all.

----

Sunday morning, Brooke picked up Grace early enough that Peyton could shower and get herself ready for whatever was going to happen when Lucas showed up. She tidied her kitchen and living room just for something to do. She wasn't sure what time Lucas was going to get there, and she knew she needed to keep herself busy so she wouldn't go crazy.

Lucas strolled through the door around 1:00 to see her sitting on the sofa with a bowl of ice cream in her hands and a magazine in her lap, wearing jeans and a tank top. Her hair was pulled up into a haphazard bun, and she smiled when she saw him come in.

"I see you still don't knock," she teased, making him laugh as he joined her on the couch.

"I see you still don't lock your door," he countered. She nodded in defeat. "How's it going?"

"You mean since you saw me last night? Pretty good," she said with a smile. "I'd offer you some ice cream, but this is the last of it, and I kind of don't want to share."

"Mean!" he cried. She just shrugged her shoulder innocently as she spooned some ice cream into her mouth. "It's okay. I just had lunch anyway."

"No dessert for you," she shrugged, making him laugh again. "Can I get you anything? Water or...anything?"

"I'm alright," he said with a nod, watching her walk into the kitchen. She returned moments later with two glasses of water and he looked at her quizzically.

"Just in case," she said, smiling. "Okay. Talking."

"Not wasting any time, huh?" he laughed.

"Well, we've avoided it for two weeks, so..." she said quietly.

"Right," he sighed. "Well, where should we start?"

"I think we both know," she said with a raised brow as she tucked one leg beneath her and turned so she was facing him.

"L.A.," he said softly, watching as she nodded. "I don't really know what to say about it."

"Why'd you leave?" she asked. "We fell asleep, and you didn't say anything about us being over, and then I woke up and you were gone."

"I was heartbroken," he admitted, though she already suspected that to be true. "You have no idea what it felt like when you didn't say yes."

"And you have no idea what it felt like when I realized you'd just walked away," she countered, doing her best not to get angry. "I just...I thought we would have talked about it."

"I didn't know what to say," he told her, looking down at his hands. "I never thought you'd say no."

"I didn't say no," she reminded him. "I said I wanted to marry you."

"I know," he sighed, shaking his head. "I've had eight years to think about it. Replaying that day in my head _every_ day. I just wish I would have realized that at the time."

"So do I," she mumbled before realizing that she had a part in all that, too. "I'm sorry. I...if I had known that that would have been the end of things, I would have said yes. Of course I would have."

"Why didn't you?" he asked quietly, looking at her again.

"I told you," she said. "I didn't think that getting married was what we needed to keep us together."

"Why couldn't we just have been engaged for a while? I didn't ask you to go to City Hall the next day," he pointed out, shaking his head as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It just felt like...desperation or something," she said, hoping that wouldn't sound insulting. "I didn't know if you really wanted to get married, or if you just wanted something to hang onto."

"I don't understand how you could ever doubt that I wanted to marry you," he scoffed. He was actually a little pissed that she still didn't understand that. Of course, his actions after that proposal gave her cause to doubt him. "God, Peyton, you know how much we went through together, and I didn't...I just..."

"Exactly," she cried, unable to keep her voice from raising. "We got through _so_ much, and then you just gave up! Why didn't you think we could get through that?"

"I was stupid," he admitted, closing his eyes as he shook his head.

It was then that he realized just _how_ stupid. It took him talking to her about it to really understand how stubborn he'd been, and how that stubbornness was what had torn them apart, not what he'd interpreted as a 'no'.

"Shall we move on to your next proposal?" she asked, attempting to break the tension with a joke. Judging by the sigh he let out, it wasn't a very funny one.

"Lindsey," he muttered. "Right. Well after you didn't show up at my book signing..."

"I was there," she told him.

"I know," he said with a nod. "Brooke told me. But, I didn't know you were there, and I thought you were just...over me."

She could only let out a laugh, because all she wanted to say was that she wasn't over him, and she'd never be over him. But she couldn't say those words, and so the breathy laugh she let out, she assumed, would imply exactly those sentiments.

"Well, that's when Lindsey and I kind of...started things," he continued.

"That's when Julian and I started things," she informed him, making him shake his head again.

The thought of her with another man still, somehow, though they hadn't been together in 8 years, still made him jealous. He especially didn't want to know that she'd started things with this other guy because she thought he was over her - even though he'd done the same thing.

"We were together for about two years and she was...she was drifting away from me," he said softly.

He didn't want to tell her that the woman had accused him of still being in love with Peyton, or that the reason she'd almost left him was because he'd spent an entire evening out questioning Brooke for information after the brunette had received a call from Peyton while he was sitting next to her. Just the sight of her name on a cell phone screen had left his mind racing. And, though he hadn't wanted to admit it to anyone at the time, his heart was racing, too.

"I didn't really mean to propose," he admitted, averting her gaze so he wouldn't see the hurt that statement caused.

"What do you mean, you didn't _mean_ to propose?" she asked with a furrowed brow.

"She...um...she found the ring in my drawer one night and I came home. We'd had this fight and she had a bag packed and I just panicked. She started talking before I could explain that it was your ring, and..."

"Wait a second," she said, holding up her hand to stop his talking. "You proposed to her with my ring?" She would have felt bad about claiming it as such, but he'd just done the same thing. If she hadn't been so pissed off, she might have taken more time to love that. "God, Lucas..."

"Peyton, it was irrational, I know. I just couldn't let her leave."

"So let me get this straight," she started. "_Brooke_ has worn the ring, _Lindsey_ has worn the ring - almost permanently, might I add. But _I_ have not worn the ring that was apparently meant for me."

When she put it all out there like that, he realized just how horrible that whole situation was. He wished he'd known ahead of time that she knew about that night in New York. When he and Brooke talked about it years later, she'd said she never told Peyton about the kiss, and he'd just assumed she hadn't told her about anything.

"I told you, she found it," he explained in an attempt to defend himself.

But then, he thought, she could have said yes. She could have worn that ring and had a wedding and worn the perfect dress, but she didn't. He hadn't wanted to leave her in L.A., but she hadn't really given him a reason to stay. And yes, he regretted that he'd left her in that room, but she didn't say yes. He told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and _she hadn't said yes_.

"And if she hadn't found it?" she asked quietly, looking to her hands. He paused for a moment, thinking of his answer, and she looked back up at him with pleading green eyes.

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

"God, Luke, you almost _married_ her. You _would_ have!" she explained.

"But it wouldn't have been right," he insisted adamantly. "I was just...out of touch with who I was. Who I _am_."

"Well who _are_ you?" she asked.

Her frustration came through in her voice. The thought of him marrying someone else just about made her sick, especially after finding out that he hadn't even intended to propose. It made her wonder if maybe he had felt the same when he proposed to her. Was it a desperate attempt to hold onto her like he'd desperately tried to hold onto Lindsey? Had he even wanted to spend his life with her? Of course, he'd said it at the time, but maybe that was irrational on his part, too. She had always thought that his proposal was done out of an insecurity in himself or her or their relationship, but now _she_ was the one who was insecure. She worried that she never meant as much to him as he did to her, no matter what he had told her just minutes before.

"I'm who I've always been around you," he explained delicately. "You know me better than anyone."

He wanted so badly for her to understand, but he was getting the feeling that she just wouldn't. He knew he'd made mistakes. A lot of them. But he'd somehow assumed that she'd just know, like she had always seemed to, that they were _mistakes_, and that he hadn't known he was making them at the time. It wasn't until he looked back on them that he realized just how confused and naive he'd been to his own feelings. He realized that no matter who he tried to give his heart to, he would never be able to, and that was because he's given it to Peyton and she'd never given it back. In truth, he'd never asked.

"You know what, Lucas? I'm not really sure what that counts for," she said sadly.

"Peyton, come on," he pleaded. He didn't even know what that meant, but it felt right to say it.

"I don't really know what you want me to say," she sighed as she shrugged her shoulders. "It seems like you've been playing kind of fast and loose with your forevers, here."

He felt like she was giving up, and it was killing him, though he wasn't sure what there was to give up at that point. All he knew was that it felt like he was losing her again, and it was killing him.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he said quickly. "I'm sorry that we ever broke up. I'm sorry that I didn't try harder to get you back when I realized that's what I wanted. And for Lindsey, and...everything."

"I don't doubt that you're sorry, Luke. But I have more to think about than just you and me, alright? I have Grace, and I'm basically starting our entire lives from scratch here. I really don't have any time or space right now for all the drama that comes with us," she said sadly, turning away from him so that he wouldn't see how much it hurt her to say it. She was sure he'd know anyway.

"So why does there have to be drama?" he asked. He was trying not to be defensive and angry, but it was difficult. All he wanted was for her to forgive him and for them to be together. The more they talked, it seemed, the further away they got from any resolution.

"Because there _is_. And there _will_ be," she said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We've never been able to get it together, Luke, and...maybe that's the way it's supposed to be."

Even as she was saying the words, she knew they weren't the truth. Well, at least she hoped they weren't the truth. But she had more to consider than just her own heart. They'd be working at the same place, and would have to maintain a professional relationship. And Grace was too young to have people coming and going from her life, especially given her history. Peyton just couldn't risk getting into a relationship again and having it all go south. And she didn't think she'd survive another breakup from Lucas. She honestly didn't know if she could take it.

Her words hit him like a ton of bricks, and he wanted to call her on it immediately. He knew the opposite was true. They were supposed to be together, and everything that told them otherwise had been a lie. Any other signs telling them they weren't destined had been wrong. Any other people who came and inevitably went from their lives were wrong because the only thing that was right was the two of them together. Lucas and Peyton. Always.

"You don't mean that," he said, shaking his head adamantly.

"It's too hard," she whispered, indicating her defeat.

"So!" he said in a raised voice. He still couldn't believe what he was hearing. "It'll be hard. So what? You get through it. _We_ can get through it."

"I really think it's best for right now if we just be friends," she said sadly. It was breaking her own heart to say it, but she felt it was the only way. "Just...take it from there."

He took an audible breath and raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He hadn't expected things to be easy, but he hadn't expected her to give up. Everything up to that conversation had indicated that she wanted him, too. She hadn't pushed him away when he kissed her. She'd been playful and coy and flirtatious. He wondered how talking about his failed relationship could change things so dramatically. And sure, she was saying things like_ 'best for right now'_ and _'take it from there'_, but he wanted it all, everything, forever, with her.

"So what, now I'm just supposed to pretend like I don't want to be with you? When I see you, I'm supposed to act like I feel nothing? You can't ask me to do that."

"I'm not asking you to do anything," she said quietly. "I just have too much to risk. I have to protect my daughter."

"I think that's a cop out," he stated boldly, locking eyes with her. "I think you're scared, and I understand that. But I think you're hiding behind Grace, at least a little bit."

"Lucas..."

"But fine," he interrupted. "I'll be your friend if that's what you need me to be. And I'll help you with whatever you need help with. But I'm not going anywhere, and the way I feel about you isn't going to change. And some day down the road, you're going to realize that you need me, and I'll be waiting."

"Luke..."

"Because I'm not going _anywhere_," he said with finality.

He stood from his place and she watched in awe as he walked to the door and left without another word. Once he was on her porch, he felt as though he might collapse. He couldn't believe he'd just said all that to her, but it had all been true. He wasn't going to fall out of love with her now, and he'd all but said the _'L'_ word.

She was left on the sofa in her living room wondering where that speech was eight years ago.

----

As Peyton tucked Grace in for the night, she couldn't ignore the way the girl's little brow was furrowed, or the way her lips twisted, like she was trying to piece something together and figure something out. Peyton normally didn't press Grace to tell her anything, knowing that they had a close enough relationship that if her daughter needed her for anything or had any questions, she'd just ask. But after the day she'd had, packed with such honesty, she couldn't bear not knowing what was going on in that little head.

"What's on your mind, kiddo?" Peyton asked, far more nonchalantly than she wanted to.

"Just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Peyton sat at the edge of the bed and pulled the covers up to Grace's chest, just like the girl loved.

"Luke," Grace stated. Peyton looked at her, waiting for more of an explanation. She was also seriously wondering if Lucas Scott just got into the head of every girl he'd ever met. "How long have you known him?"

"A long time," Peyton said with a laugh. "Since we were 16."

"That's like, forever!" Grace said in awe.

Peyton just smiled and nodded her head. "It's a long time," she repeated. "Why do you want to know?"

"You laugh lots with him," Grace noted, like it was an obvious thing she was pointing out. The truth was, of all the things her friends had said to her about the situation, no one had put it as plainly as that.

"He's kind of a funny guy."

"How come you never had any boys in L.A.?" Grace asked innocently. Peyton almost laughed again at how kids' minds worked.

"I guess there just weren't any boys I really liked in L.A.," Peyton answered diplomatically.

"But you like Luke?"

"Yeah, sweetie, I like Luke," Peyton admitted. She couldn't lie, not to Grace.

"Maybe he could be your boy," Grace suggested, smiling sleepily. She was obviously tired out after her day with Brooke. "Like Nathan is Haley's."

Peyton laughed softly, but she didn't know what to say because she honestly felt like she was on the verge of tears. If Grace only knew. Lucas could have been hers, if only she'd answered that question correctly all those years ago. Or if only he'd heard what she was really saying. Or if only he'd stayed and they'd talked it out. There were so many what ifs, and Peyton honestly wished she was as innocent and blunt as Grace still was. In her mind, Lucas was a nice guy who was funny and did sweet things, and that was enough.

The more Peyton thought about it, the more she thought it might be enough for her, too.

"'Night, mommy," Grace said, before Peyton could say anything in response.

"Goodnight, Gracie," Peyton whispered.

She turned out the light, went to her own bedroom, and not for the first time, shed a few tears, thinking that once again, she might be making things a hell of a lot harder with Lucas than they really needed to be.

**----**

**A/N:** Don't hate me. You didn't honestly think it'd be _that_ easy, did you?


	8. Chapter 8

After getting good and drunk after his conversation with Peyton (it seemed like a fitting reaction), Lucas spent the entire next day laying on his bed, nursing a bit of a hangover and wondering how they'd gone from making out in her kitchen, to deciding they couldn't be together in only a matter of days. But then he realized it wasn't a decision. Not a joint one, anyway. He wanted to be with her. He didn't want to have to wait for her to realize it was what she wanted, too.

After sitting and thinking alone for far too long, he went to see the only person who might be able to fill him in on what was going on in Peyton's head.

As soon as Brooke opened the door, she smiled at him sympathetically, and he knew that she was well aware of the conversation that had taken place.

"Hi," he said sheepishly as she gestured for him to step inside. He made his way to the couch and flopped down, closing his eyes.

"Alright Luke, tell me everything," she said, sitting down next to him. She already knew Peyton's side. She wanted to know his.

And so he did. He told her they talked about proposals one and two and the fallout from both, and he told her the things Peyton had said and the promise he'd made to her and some of the 'accusations' he'd made.

"You told her she was hiding behind Grace?" Brooke asked after hearing his side of the entire story.

"I know. It was...harsh. But I still think it might be true," Lucas insisted softly, shaking his head for emphasis.

"It might be," she admitted. "But you didn't see her when she first took Grace home."

"Brooke, I..."

"No, Lucas, you should hear this," she said quietly, watching as he nodded. "She was like...frantic. You know how she gets." He just laughed because, yes, he could picture her. "She had no idea what to do. At the time she was just in a one bedroom apartment, and had no clue how to take care of a child. I mean, with babies, you kind of just learn as you go. But Grace was four at the time, and Peyton tried to get daycare, but Grace wasn't good around people, and she just wouldn't go."

"I didn't know," he said, shaking his head again.

"I know you didn't," Brooke said, smiling at him, because he obviously meant well. And he obviously loved Peyton. "Well, Peyton was barely making ends meet with her salary when she only had to take care of herself. She would call me in the middle of the night, crying in her bathroom while Grace slept in her bed, and she was convinced that she was doing everything wrong. She thought she had made a mistake and that she couldn't do it."

"That's...crazy," he insisted. Brooke smiled and nodded, because they both knew how amazing Peyton was with her little girl.

"I lent her some money and she somehow convinced her boss that she could work from home. I went to visit her a few weeks later, after she and Grace got more settled, and she told me that she either had to start selling drugs, her body, or her art."

Lucas let out a laugh, because he wasn't sure what else to do, and he got the faintest of smiles from Brooke. "Thankfully, she decided on art," he mumbled. He actually visibly shuddered at the thought of anyone - _anyone_ - else seeing her body the way he wanted so badly to.

"That's when she started painting more and more. She and Grace got into a routine, and she somehow scraped enough money together to buy a house. She wouldn't take anything from me, no matter how many times I offered. She just kept working her job and painting and learning how to take care of her daughter."

He mumbled something about Peyton being _'so damn stubborn'_, and Brooke laughed softly.

"So yeah, she might be hiding behind Grace, and I agree with you. But don't ever doubt that her daughter comes first before anything else. Because Lucas, if she even thinks for a second that something isn't the best for Grace - I mean, if there is any worry whatsoever - she's not going to do it. That's why she hasn't even been on a date in three years - and she'd kill me if she knew I told you that. But she's not going to upset the balance she has. She can't risk it."

"Brooke, I just..."

"You love her," she stated, and he let out a sigh. "I know you do. And I know you adore Grace. So just_ be there_ for her."

"I don't even think she wants that," he said sadly. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"We both know that's not true," she insisted. "And besides, even if she said she didn't want that, she still would, deep down inside her. She's always wanted you, Luke."

"It's just so...I have spent _so much_ time ignoring how I feel, Brooke," he said dejectedly. "And now she's finally here, and yeah, I've loved her for..._years_. Even when I didn't realize it, I loved her. I don't think I can just...try not to feel that."

"No one's telling you not to feel it," she reassured him. "Did she tell you that?"

"No," he said softly.

"So maybe just...dial it back a bit," she suggested, making him laugh. "I'm serious! Just be whatever she needs you to be. She can't stay away from you, Luke. Lord knows I learned that lesson first hand."

She sent him a grin, letting him know that it was a joke and he should take it as one, and he heaved a sigh and shook his head.

"So I just keep doing what I'm doing," he stated, watching as Brooke nodded. "That'll be..."

"Exactly what you need to do. That's what it'll be," she filled in, making him let out a quiet laugh.

It all sounded so simple. He suspected that everyone who knew of their situation knew that it wasn't.

----

The following week, after long talks with both Haley and Brooke about her encounter with Lucas and the discussion they'd had, Peyton had finally thought that she was done talking about it, and that they could all just let it go, and Peyton and Lucas could just let things take their course, whatever course that might be.

Nathan Scott wasn't having any of that.

Grace was at his house, swimming with Jamie and Haley, and Nathan took that opportunity to go to Peyton's house and demand to know what the hell was going through her head.

He walked into the house without knocking and searched for her before hearing music coming from her 'studio'. When he walked in, he found her in just a paint-covered tank top and jeans, with her hair pulled into a ponytail.

"What do you call that?" he asked, making her turn to him. She laughed. He'd asked that once before.

She glanced back at the canvas, a portrait of Jamie and Grace, sitting at the edge of the pool and laughing together. "Love," she said. They both smiled, and Nathan nodded his head.

"Hey, speaking of. _Why_ aren't you and Lucas together?"

"Wow. You aren't wasting any time, are you?"

"Why are you?" he asked, sitting on a stool across from her.

"Nathan..."

"Look, I know the engagement is a big deal..."

"Which one?" she asked with a raised brow.

Okay. So she had a point there.

"Both. But now that you know the story, you should be able to forgive him."

"It's not about the proposal. Either of them, really. It's about...It's about him not ever really knowing what he wants," she explained. "He never just makes a choice. He never...there's always something _pushing_ him towards a choice or...a girl."

"That's not true," Nathan said, shaking his head. She raised her brow at him and put her hand on her hip. "Senior year?"

"Okay, fine. What about after that, Nathan? What about leaving me in a freaking hotel room? What about proposing to a woman he knew wasn't right for him and almost getting married, just because he was too much of a coward to be honest about it all?"

Nathan actually smiled. There was the bitch he'd dated so long ago. He loved that she hadn't lost that spark. "And what does he want now?"

"Honestly? I don't care," she said, turning back to her painting.

"You're such a liar," he said, laughing and shaking his head. She looked at him, and he only laughed harder at the absolute anger he saw in her eyes. "You care. Because you love him."

"Nathan, it's about more than just me," she reminded him. He noticed, as he was sure she did, that she wasn't telling him that she didn't, in fact, love Lucas. "If Grace gets close to him and becomes dependent on him, it'd break her heart if he ever...if he ever left."

Nathan just nodded. He understood that. He really did. Grace had had enough hardship in her life (not to mention Peyton's own hardships) and he suspected neither girl could take it if someone left them. But...

"What about _your_ heart?" he asked seriously.

"I'm protecting it, too," she almost whispered. "I can't go through that again."

"You ever think you might not have to?"

Truthfully, that was all she'd been thinking since her conversation with Lucas.

----

To say Peyton was stressing out about starting her new job would be an understatement. Haley assured her that she'd be fine as long as she was prepared, and that her students were going to love her. Sure, that put Peyton at ease just a little bit.

Now she just had to get herself prepared.

She was on the floor in front of the coffee table with papers and books scattered in front of her, along with copies of the Tree Hill High curriculum and employee conduct manual. Grace was reading a Judy Bloom novel that Lucas had recommended to her, sitting quietly on the sofa and turning pages with her little hands. Peyton smiled every time Grace laughed at something she was reading.

The phone rang, and before Peyton could answer it, Grace had shot up from her place and scrambled for the receiver. Peyton shot her a look, because both of them knew that was one of Peyton's pet peeves.

"Hello?...Hi!...Really?!...Let me ask," Grace said before turning to Peyton. "It's Luke. Him and Haley are taking Jamie to the beach and he wanted to know if we want to go."

"Sweetie, I have too much work to do right now. Maybe another time, Okay?" Peyton said, knowing that her daughter would definitely not like that answer. Sure enough, she saw the pout on Grace's face as she lifted the phone to her ear again.

"She says we can't...I don't know. Work or something...Oh...Maybe. Hang on," Grace said, turning back to Peyton again. "He says they can pick me up if you can't go."

"Give me the phone," Peyton laughed, watching Grace roll her eyes as she walked over and handed the phone to her mother. "Hello?"

"Hey," Lucas said.

She really hated that she loved that voice so much.

"So the beach, huh?" Peyton asked. "I just really have a lot to do and I can't get away."

"We can take her for you," Lucas offered. "Or you could just blow off your work and come with us."

"Luke," she admonished. "I can't."

"Well, can Grace? I know she loves the beach," he asked.

Peyton let out a sigh and thought about it for a second. She knew she'd get more done in a quiet(er) home, and that she completely trusted Lucas and Haley with Grace.

"Okay, sure," Peyton finally said. "What time?"

"We're just at Haley's now," he explained. "We'll be there in like, 15."

"Alright. See you then," she said before hanging up. She turned back to Grace who was wearing a wide smile. "Go get your suit on. I'll pack some things and put some sunscreen on when you get back down here."

"Thanks mommy!" she shouted excitedly as she ran up the stairs.

Peyton wasn't sure why, but there was a knot in the pit of her stomach, and she wasn't sure what it was over. It could have been anything, really. Lucas coming over (having to see him at all). Grace spending the day by the water without her (she was a mother; she worried). Grace spending time alone with Lucas.

Realistically, it was probably all three.

Grace bounded down the stairs just as Peyton had tossed a beach towel, hat, change of clothes, and extra bottle of sunscreen in a little beach bag. She was wearing her navy blue 'racing' suit; she couldn't wait to join swim team the next year when she was old enough.

Peyton slathered on the SPF 60 and the two of them were laughing as Peyton braided Grace's hair when Haley stepped through the door.

"Hey! We match!" Haley announced with a smile, pulling her tee shirt up a little to show Grace her navy blue suit.

"Cool!" Grace exclaimed.

"Last chance, Peyton," Haley said enticingly. "You sure you don't want to come? It's gorgeous out."

"Yeah. I really have to get a couple lesson plans done," Peyton said, gesturing to the mess of things she had spread out on the table. "But thanks for taking her."

"Oh, it's no problem," Haley said, waving her hand in the air. "We'll just get her all hopped up on sugar and bring her home to you." Both women laughed, knowing Haley was really not the kind to do that. Lucas, on the other hand... "Well we should go. You ready, Grace?"

"Yup," Grace said, taking her bag from her mom. "Bye mommy."

"Bye sweetie. Be careful, okay?" Peyton said, running her hand over Grace's hair.

"I will."

"Bye Peyton," Haley said.

"See you." Peyton watched as Grace and Haley left the house and stepped down the walkway, and she laughed to herself at how excited Grace was to see Lucas' old Mustang there. She'd never ridden in that car before.

She waited until they pulled away from the curb, then went back to her work.

But all afternoon, she wished she could have just gone with them to the beach.

----

As soon as they got to the beach, Jamie and Grace ran straight for the water with Lucas chasing after them. Haley wasn't sure who was more excited. She had to laugh at her best friend. She thought it was adorable how Lucas turned into a big kid every time he was around anyone under the age of about 10. He was great with kids. He was amazing with Jamie.

He was especially good with Grace.

She'd been concerned at first, as she knew Peyton was, about Grace spending a lot of time with these new people in her life. Haley wasn't sure if it was just that Grace was getting more and more comfortable with people in general, or if it was this town and these people that were putting her at ease. Either way, as she watched Lucas pick Grace up and spin around with her over his shoulder, Haley knew that the little girl was happy. Really happy.

She wished she could say the same for Lucas.

She knew he was putting on a brave face, and that every once in a while he really was genuinely happy. She also knew that being so close to Peyton, knowing he still loved her and knowing she was single and definitely still had feelings for him, but not being together, well, that was killing him. He was quiet about it. He didn't complain. He hardly talked about it at all, knowing that Peyton wouldn't want him to, and that he really didn't need to.

And he'd said as much to Haley. He told her he'd wait for Peyton to be ready, and he was confident that she would be someday.

Haley wondered if, even if he wasn't consciously thinking it, his bonding with Grace had a lot to do with his determination to win Peyton back. If he could show her that he was there for Grace and not letting the little girl down, then maybe Peyton's fears would be eased. Time would tell.

"Haley! Come play!" Grace yelled.

Haley couldn't say no. She loved that little girl's spirit, that was for sure.

"Yeah, Haley! Come play!" Lucas echoed boyishly, making her laugh from where she stood on the sand.

And she just really couldn't pass up the chance to splash Lucas in a girls versus boys water fight, which was exactly what she suggested when she joined them in the water.

----

The next day, Peyton and Grace were cleaning Grace's bedroom when they heard the front door open and heard Lucas' voice call out for them. Peyton was about to shout and tell him where they were, but Grace was already running out of her bedroom and towards the stairs. Peyton shook her head and followed her down into the living room.

"Hi Luke!"

"Hey Grace. What are you up to?" he asked. Peyton sent him a smile. She knew that room wasn't getting cleaned.

"Mom's making me_ clean _my_ room_," she said with disdain. She made a face and Lucas laughed.

"Well, maybe you should just not make a mess," he suggested. Peyton smiled a little wider. Good logic.

"That's what _she_ says," Grace said, pointing towards her mother.

"Well, she's kind of smart, you know," Lucas said. He winked at Peyton, and she felt her heart race a little bit. He always did that. He could take the most simple, subtle thing and make it so sexy she could barely stand it.

"What's up, Lucas?" Peyton asked, sensing that he wasn't just stopping by to say hi.

"Well, they're playing The Lion King at the Stanley downtown, and I thought maybe Grace wanted to come with me," Lucas said, speaking to Peyton, though neither adult could ignore the way the little girl's face lit up. "But if you have to clean your room..."

"Mom! Can I go?" Grace asked pleadingly.

Peyton rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she was still smiling. "You're spoiled, you know that?"

"Thank you!" Grace shouted. Lucas laughed at her, but she didn't care at all.

"But listen," Peyton said seriously, making Grace turn to her. "As soon as you get back, you have to finish your room."

"Okay. I will. I promise!"

"And _one_ treat _only_," Peyton said, glancing up at Lucas. He held his hands up in defeat and laughed.

"Got it," Grace said, nodding emphatically.

"I'll have her back in a couple hours," Lucas promised.

Grace said goodbye to her mom, then they were out the door.

Peyton was left in an empty house again, thinking she'd never spent as much time without her daughter as she had since moving home. She'd be the first to admit that having the help was nice, but she was so self-sufficient and she'd spent so many years doing everything on her own, that it was weird to all of a sudden have so many extra people around.

She decided that if she had a couple hours, she didn't want to spend them alone. She grabbed her wallet, keys and phone and started down the sidewalk. She figured a visit to Brooke's boutique would be fun, and the two of them could have a quick chat. They were both so busy lately that they hadn't had much of a chance to talk one on one. And while the store wasn't necessarily the best place to have an uninterrupted conversation, it was air conditioned, and it would do.

She grabbed a couple iced coffees from the little coffee shop she loved, and when she walked through the door of the store, Brooke looked up from her sketchbook and smiled.

"Hey!"

"Hey," Peyton said, handing over the plastic cup. "Luke stole Grace, so I figured we could hang out."

"Stole her?" Brooke asked with a laugh.

"He took her to see the Lion King," Peyton said. Brooke only laughed harder. They both knew that was one of Grace's favourite movies.

"I bet he wishes he could win you over as easily as he's winning Grace over," Brooke said quietly, almost as though she was afraid of Peyton's response.

"He can wish whatever he wants," Peyton said, knowing that her attempts to downplay how much she loved that Lucas loved her were completely lost on Brooke. Brooke knew everything; she knew Peyton better than anyone.

Well, almost anyone.

"He sure likes playing daddy though, doesn't he?" Brooke asked. It wasn't a joke or a snide comment. It was almost like she was saying it in reverence; like she liked that he was making such an effort.

She really did like it. Brooke knew that the way to Peyton's heart was through Grace's. She knew that if Peyton didn't want something, it wouldn't matter what happened. But, if she wanted something (which she so did, whether she wanted to admit it or not) Grace was the way to go about it. No one had told Lucas that. He was proving it on his own. Brooke knew that he was going to get close to Grace and show Peyton that he was serious about everything.

"It feels weird to let him," Peyton admitted.

"Because you want to be a family and yet you won't let yourself be with him?"

"Actually," Peyton said sternly, "because he's _not_ her father."

"He could be," Brooke pointed out.

"Brooke..."

"Okay, so it'd be like a step...adoptive...father...type situation, but I'm sure he'd work with it."

"Look, it's only been like, a week since he and I talked about everything. Can everyone just back off and let me do this my way?" Peyton asked seriously.

"Your way sucks," Brooke replied. "He is _crazy_ about that little girl. Almost as crazy as he is about you. Why are you so resistant?"

"It's not that easy."

"You've been talking about him for like, four years, and now you're here and he wants to be with you, and why is it not easy?" Brooke asked. "It _is_ easy. You're making it harder than it has to be."

"Can we talk about something else?" Peyton requested. "I just don't want to talk about this anymore."

"We aren't done this conversation," Brooke said.

"Okay. But we're done with it for right now."

"Fine. Want to see the winter line?" Brooke asked excitedly, clicking something or another on the computer on the counter.

Sure, Brooke talked a lot and didn't let Peyton get away with her denial. She also knew when to let it go and let Peyton sit with what had been said. That was why they were best friends.

----

When Peyton got home, she found Lucas and Grace sitting on the porch swing, rocking back and forth and laughing with one another. Grace said something that had them both cracking up and Lucas shaking his head at her.

Peyton hadn't realized she'd taken a little longer than only a couple hours. She and Brooke got to talking about Brooke's designs and Peyton's teaching job. She really hadn't thought they'd get home before her.

"Hey mom!"

"Hey sweetie. I'm sorry," she offered, looking to Lucas. "I went to see Brooke, and I guess we lost track of time."

"It's alright," Lucas insisted. "We've only been here about 15 minutes."

"I should tell you where the spare key is," Peyton said offhandedly a she unlocked the door.

"You should," Lucas said in a voice that had her taking a deep breath and looking at him in warning. He just smirked back at her.

"How was it?" Peyton asked once they'd stepped inside.

"So fun!" Grace answered. "Luke knows the words."

"It's a _classic_," he said in his defense, as though that explained it all.

"As long as you didn't cry, I won't make fun of you," Peyton said, making Grace laugh at him. "How much sugar did you have?"

"None! Only popcorn," Grace insisted.

"Too bad. You need fuel to get that room finished," Peyton reminded her. Grace groaned and closed her eyes tightly. "Go get a juice box and head upstairs."

"Fine," Grace pouted. "Thanks Luke." She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he rest one hand on her back and the other on her shoulder. "I had so much fun."

"I'm glad," he said quietly, a little taken aback by her perfect little hug. "I had fun too."

The girl rushed into the kitchen, then bounded up the stairs with a burst of energy that left Peyton and Lucas shaking their heads at her.

Lucas noticed a strange look on Peyton's face, and he couldn't read it, which was definitely unnerving. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"No, nothing," she said, waving off his concern. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"You and Grace," she said quietly.

"Oh," he said, his heart dropping in his chest. "I can...I mean...if you want me to spend less time with her, I can..."

"No!" she insisted. "No, it's not that. I was..."

"What?" He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked to the floor.

"It's just kind of weird that she's taken to you so quickly," she said with a shrug, trying to downplay the statement. She knew, however, that he'd hear exactly what she wasn't saying. Grace had a hard time trusting anyone, and maybe it meant something that she trusted Lucas.

"Sawyer girls are my specialty," he said softly, smirking at her when she raised her eyebrow at him.

"You really are hell bent on making me fall for you again, aren't you?" she asked with a smirk.

He had to admit, statements like those led him to believe that she had never fallen _out_ of love with him. Sure, she was sending insane amounts of mixed signals and playing a little hot and cold with him, but the fact remained that she had genuine feelings for him, and that was what he was going to hang onto.

"By whatever means necessary," he confirmed. He leaned forward and rest his hand on her hip, placing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you."

She couldn't lie. She was kind of enjoying his subtle attempts to win her.


	9. Chapter 9

When Peyton woke to a knock at the door and the sound of her cell ringing simultaneously, her heart dropped into her stomach. She checked the time, cursed, then ran down the stairs. She'd completely forgotten to set her alarm, and she and Haley had a meeting at the school that morning that she was almost certain she'd now be late for. Haley was picking her up and they were driving together, but she had a sleeping girl in her house, bedhead, and no clue what to wear.

"Whoa. You overslept," Haley noted upon seeing Peyton open the door in just her pajama shorts and tee shirt.

"Shit. I'm so sorry. I'm...Dammit." Peyton was frantic, closing the door behind Haley and trying to figure out what to do first.

"Relax," Haley said. That's a good start. "The meeting was moved back an hour, so we've got time."

"No!" Peyton cried. "No, no, no." She ran her hands through her hair and Haley was looking at her like she was insane. "Brooke's supposed to watch Grace, and she has an appointment at 10:30. She could only watch her because...Shit! What am I going to do?"

"First of all, calm yourself down," Haley said with a laugh. "Nathan and Jamie had to go to Raleigh for school shopping, but...Luke doesn't have to come to this meeting." It was a quiet suggestion, because she didn't really know how Peyton would take it. She'd talked to Lucas at length about the situation, and she gathered that people were supposed to be delicate about it. "You could call him."

Peyton already had the phone in her hand. Haley listened to one side of a conversation that ended with, "Thank God! You're a lifesaver, Lucas." She smiled to herself. She wondered if Peyton realized just how desperate she sounded. Haley knew that Lucas would never imply that Peyton needed him, but if she kept going to him for help, she'd see that he'd always be there for her, just like he'd said. For all the stupid things Lucas had done over the years, Haley actually thought he might be playing this one right.

Haley helped get Grace ready for her day, though they had a playful little argument when Haley tried to get the girl to wear a dress. Haley admitted that she just wanted to have a little fun dressing a girl for once instead of a boy, and they both ended up laughing. Haley was brushing Grace's hair when Peyton walked into the girl's bedroom and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're...seriously? You're a champ," she said to Haley, making them laugh. "Come on. We've gotta get out of here."

"Mom, my bed's not made!" Grace shouted, aghast. Peyton never let her leave the house without making her bed.

"Today is a one time only exception," Peyton insisted sternly. Haley just smiled as they followed the girl down the hall. "I promise I'm not usually this much of a basket case."

"I know," Haley promised.

"I just...there's so much going on, and I..."

"Peyton, I know." They walked out the front door and towards Haley's car, and Grace jumped into the back seat. "It'll work out," Haley said seriously. "And...you've got help, you know."

Peyton was very well aware that Haley wasn't talking just about herself. She was talking about Lucas. Probably more so than anyone else. Of all their friends, Haley was the most subtle. She understood, at least a little bit, why Peyton was reluctant. Maybe it was because she was a mother herself, and she'd do anything to protect her son.

Or maybe it was all an act, and she too couldn't understand why Peyton wasn't just letting her heart have what - _who_ - it wanted.

They pulled up to Lucas' place and Peyton got out of the car to walk Grace to the front door. Lucas answered with a smile on his face. He'd been smiling since he heard Peyton say something (anything) about him saving her. He knew she was frantic and in a rush and she probably hadn't even realized what she'd said, but still. A guy could dream.

"I'm so sorry to do this to you again," she said seriously after Grace ran inside.

"Don't apologize. It's no problem," he insisted. "You look nice."

She smiled despite herself. She didn't have time for his compliments. She still liked them, though. "Thanks. And thank you for doing this."

"Anything you need," he said, smirking at her when she rolled her eyes.

"I get it, Lucas," she laughed, making him do the same. "We shouldn't be long."

"Take your time. I've got her."

She didn't say anything more. She just walked back down the steps and towards the waiting car, and she was still smiling. She shook her head at Haley, who was wearing a knowing grin, and Peyton simply said, "just drive."

----

Lucas had found a bunch of his old books, some he knew Grace didn't have, and he handed her one to read. The truth was, he had a lot of work to do to prepare for the season, as well as having a deadline coming to get some pages to his editor. But he'd told Peyton he was there for her, and it was the truth. Grace was happy to just read as he drew out plays and checked a few scouting reports of players from last year's JV team. He'd gotten her something to eat when she said she was hungry, and they were each nursing glasses of sweet tea.

His mind was getting a little fuzzy with so many x's and o's, so he dropped his pen and looked over at the girl sitting to his left. "You know what I think we need?"

"What?" Grace asked, her eyes shining, just _knowing_ he was about to say something fun.

"Cookies."

"We _do_ need cookies," she said, like it was a mere fact and she just hadn't thought of it before.

He stepped into the kitchen to get their snack, and all he could think was how much he loved spending time with her. He hated, however, that Peyton never seemed to be around when he was with Grace. He, of course, didn't mind looking after her and helping Peyton out, but he wanted to be around her. He felt that since their conversation, she'd been avoiding him, and he hated it. He started to wonder if it was unfair of her to kiss him the way she'd kissed him, then suddenly take it all back. He wondered if she was being selfish, or if he was. It wasn't just that he wanted to kiss her, it was that he wanted it all with her. Everything. A _life_. The life they should have had all along. Sure, he'd made the mistakes that put him in this position, but she wasn't without blame, either. If she'd just said yes all those years ago, or if she'd just stuck around at his book signing, or if she'd just returned home before he got engaged to Lindsey...

Their relationship had so many 'what ifs'. The only thing he knew for sure was that they were meant to be.

When he stepped into the living room again, he noticed that Grace had her book closed on her lap and looked like she was deep in thought. He didn't ask her what was going on, thinking that if she wanted him to know, she'd tell him.

And she did. He wasn't, however, expecting the question she threw at him.

"If you love my mom, then why aren't you married?" Grace asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

He didn't really know what to say. He knew he had to be careful with this one. If he answered the 'wrong' way, then Peyton would find out and tear his head off. But he didn't want to be misleading, and he didn't want to lie to her.

"Sometimes it's not just that simple, Gracie," he said diplomatically, watching as she took a bite of her cookie. "Sometimes it takes a little bit more than that."

"Nuh uh," she said defiantly. She shook her head, adamant that she was right. He had to smile. Peyton did the same thing. "People who are in love are supposed to get married."

"They are, huh?" Lucas said, chuckling a little bit. There was a bitter voice in the back of his head that wanted to say, _Tell that to your mother_. He knew that would hinder, not help.

"Doesn't she love you?"

"Oh. I...I think your mom loves all of us. We've known each other..."

"No," she interrupted. "Like, love you the boy/girl way."

He laughed again. He adored this girl and all her childlike logic. "I think she does," he admitted softly. "I think your mom's really busy right now and she's trying to get you guys settled here."

She narrowed her eyes and stared at him, and it unnerved him a little bit. "I think she loves you. It's stupid that she won't marry you."

He couldn't disagree. He really couldn't. Of course, he didn't expect them to get married like, the next day (although if she came to him and suggested it, he couldn't say he'd turn her down). He just wanted to be in love with her and have her admit that she loved him back. He honestly didn't think that was too much to ask. He knew, from talking to Brooke, that Peyton still had feelings for him. Big ones.

He didn't know what to say.

He decided to change the subject.

"Don't say stupid," he told her, knowing Peyton would have done the same thing.

And that only served to remind him what a good team they'd make.

----

Peyton stepped out of the meeting at the school thinking, maybe for the first time, that she'd be just fine as a teacher. She'd get the hang of it. All she had to do was pass along her knowledge and her skills. It wouldn't be so bad. Haley reassured her, once again, of the same thing. The other teachers were warm and welcoming, and insisted that if she needed help with anything, she could ask questions or come to them. She liked her job already, and she hadn't even started.

Brooke came over for dinner, and the girls listened to Grace talk about how she might actually be excited about starting at her new school. She was eager to make new friends and get to know people, and Peyton was proud of her for all that. Not so long ago, the girl would have been scared of the new scenario and it would have taken a lot of convincing to get her to see that it was a good thing.

But then afterward, when they were eating ice cream, Grace started talking about Lucas, and Brooke grinned at Peyton, and Peyton tried to ignore how much she adored that Lucas seemed to love her daughter so much. Which was really hard to do. Until Grace started speaking candidly of the day she'd had with him.

"He loves you, mom," she said seriously, licking the chocolate ice cream off her lips.

"What?" Peyton breathed out.

"I asked. He does. He told me so," Grace insisted. "He said you love him too."

Peyton's jaw dropped, and Brooke choked on her water. "He _what_?" Peyton asked.

"I asked him if you do. I told him you guys should get married," Grace said, completely unaware that this was a big, huge issue that had been talked about ad nauseam.

Peyton was speechless. She couldn't believe Lucas would have that conversation with Grace. She didn't doubt that he wasn't the one who brought it up, but for him to say that she loved him, to Grace of all people, was crossing a line. He had to know that.

"What did he say?" Brooke asked, since she could tell Peyton couldn't.

"He said it's not easy. I think it's dumb," Grace said, her features hardening.

Peyton shook her head. "Honey, it's not...It's _not_ easy. Lucas...He means that I love him like a friend."

"No!" Grace insisted. "Not like that. Like the kind of love where people get married."

"It takes...It takes a lot more than that," Peyton said delicately, trying to calm Grace down. She could tell this conversation wasn't going to go well, and she'd end up looking like the bad guy.

"Grace, people don't just get married if they're in love," Brooke added.

"They _should_," the girl pouted. "Can I go watch T.V.?"

Peyton sighed, knowing she'd just crushed the girl's dream, and nodded her head. She ran her hands through her hair once Grace had left the room, and Brooke looked at her apologetically, though there was really nothing she could do about it. Peyton didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say to placate her daughter. All she knew was that she was pissed at Lucas, and that it'd be easier to talk to him than it would be to talk to Grace.

"Can you watch her?" she asked Brooke, standing from her seat.

"Yeah. Of course. What are you...?" Brooke inquired worriedly.

"I need to have a chat with Lucas."

"Peyton."

"No, Brooke. It's one thing to make promises to me, but it's another to make them to her," Peyton insisted.

"He didn't make promises," Brooke said objectively. "He just..."

"He was talking about love and marriage with my daughter. Planting ideas in her head. Unrealistic ones," Peyton said sharply, reaching for her keys. "I'll be back in a bit."

Brooke couldn't say anything more before Peyton was stalking out the back door and towards her car. She didn't exactly know what to do, so she just tidied the kitchen and headed into the living room and sat down with her 'niece' and watched mindless television as she worried about what was going to happen as a result of all this.

Through it all, the one thought that kept coming back to her, was that Peyton and Lucas getting married was about the _least_ unrealistic thing she'd ever heard.

----

Peyton contemplated walking to Lucas' house, but she knew that it would just give her more time to think and get more angry, and as much as she believed he deserved to be yelled at for this latest stunt, she didn't want to be a _total_ bitch. After all, he'd done her a favour, and he was being amazing to Grace, and maybe to her a little bit, too.

And she absolutely hated herself for anticipating being alone with him. Hated it. She shouldn't have cared. It wasn't like she was going to walk in and kiss him or anything, but...well, she was thinking about it. And it was absurd. She was mad at him, but she wanted to kiss him. She was angry, but she wanted to grab a fistful of his shirt. She couldn't believe he'd done what he did, but her heart was racing.

She knocked on the door and she almost smiled when he opened it. It was clear he was pleasantly surprised to see her, and she didn't want to admit how good he looked in his jeans and tee shirt (he'd been wearing the same thing earlier, she just didn't let herself think about it).

"What's up?" he asked, stepping aside to let her in. She brushed past him, her elbow grazing his stomach as she did so, and he was certain she was just torturing him.

"I just had an interesting conversation with Grace," she said, putting her hand on her hip. He knew that didn't mean anything good. "What did you say to her?"

Dammit. He didn't think he'd said anything wrong. It was clear she didn't share the same opinion. "Is this about me..."

"Telling her that I'm in love with you? Yeah!" she cried.

"Whoa. Hang on. I was as...careful as I could be," he said in his defense.

"_Luke_."

"She asked if you loved me. I said that you love all of us."

"And?" she asked expectantly, raising her brow.

"She asked...if you...Look, I said that I thought - that I think - you are," he said, raising his shoulders. "I didn't know what else to say."

"Well, now she's mad at me because I'm not marrying you," she told him, crossing her arms.

He noticed that she wasn't denying that she did love him. He thought that maybe that had to count for something.

"Did she say that?" he asked, not quite able to believe it. At the same time, he realized that _he_ was a little mad that she wasn't marrying him, too.

"Sort of. Well...no...But she's mad. That's not the point," she said, clearly flustered.

He sighed and shook his head, frankly a little annoyed with the accusation. "What _is_ the point, Peyton?" he inquired.

"The point is!" she shouted before taking a breath to calm herself. She didn't really want to yell at him. The situation probably didn't warrant it. "The point is, she's not even eight years old, Lucas. She still believes in fairy tales and true love."

"So do I," he insisted. She tilted her head and rolled her eyes at him. "Peyton, come on. She asked me flat out, and I wasn't going to lie."

"That's something new for you," she mumbled without really thinking. He let out a bitter breath and she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. That...I'm sorry."

"I probably deserve it."

She didn't want him thinking that. She was being too hard on him, and the only reason she was so upset was because the whole issue was hitting a little (or a lot) too close to home. Or to her heart. No matter, he didn't need her making snide comments to him when he'd been nothing but amazing since she returned home. He had no real reason to be, since they hadn't spoken in so long.

But wait. He loved her. That was a pretty good reason, she supposed.

"No," she said quickly, shaking her head. "No, you don't. You've been...really great with her, and...and with me." She had to smile when he did. He was obviously happy that she was admitting it. "I just need her to have stability, you know? I don't want...I need to know that whatever I get into in my personal life doesn't affect her. I mean, I know that it will, obviously, but...You know what I mean."

"I know," Lucas said sincerely. "But you ever think you might be hurting her by not following your heart?"

She reeled back like she'd been hit. She knew he wanted to be with her, and every time she thought about it, she wanted to just give it up and be with him, too, but she was scared - absolutely terrified - that they weren't as perfect for each other as they'd thought. What if they got back together, only to realize that it wasn't meant to be?

And yes, that was for her own heart just a little bit more than it was for Grace's.

But she knew what he was saying. Grace wanted her mom to be with Lucas. In her young eyes, there was no reason why they shouldn't all be a family.

"I'm not talking about this anymore," she said, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. She'd wanted so badly to forgive him (did he need forgiveness...?). She didn't know if it was him making that so difficult, or her.

"Peyton..."

"No, Lucas. This isn't...You're not her father, okay? Don't try to tell me what she needs. I've been doing _just fine _without you for years."

She opened the door and she was slamming it closed moments later, leaving him alone in his living room, trying to figure out just how he went so wrong with her. He was pretty sure he'd have to go back a lot of years and a lot of mistakes.

He didn't think this latest one had anything to do with her anger towards him. Something about the way she'd said that she'd been fine without him for years sounded like an accusation. He kind of felt that she had every right to make it.

----

The first day of school, Peyton held her head high, tried to build a rapport with and get to know her students, and pretended that her heart wasn't breaking at least a little bit. She hated how harsh she'd been with Lucas, and it had been days since she'd seen him, and part of her wanted to apologize. It was the stubborn part of her that wanted even more to just leave him on his own and not think about him.

Well, not thinking about him wouldn't work. Especially when she actually had to talk to him about something work-related. She wanted to take one of her classes into the gym for their first assignment, and she learned that any and all uses of the gym had to go through and be scheduled by Coach Scott.

And she'd done so well avoiding him all day.

It was after classes had let out for the day that she was sitting there in her classroom with her laptop open. She had her work email open, and his work address keyed in, and she knew it was absolutely ridiculous to email him when she knew for a fact (she could see his car from her window) that he was in the school somewhere. He was probably in the gym or his office, and she could be face to face with him, and she could ask him in person. But then she'd probably tell him she was sorry and that she'd overreacted, and she wasn't really sure she was ready to do that yet. If she was being honest, the time away from him was probably for the best. She needed to focus on her job and her daughter, and he was a distraction. A sexy, damn near irresistible distraction.

And that was another reason she couldn't just go see him. If she ended up alone with him in his office, she'd do something crazy like grab him and kiss him and run her hands through his hair and...

She was thinking about it far too much.

She just started typing instead.

_Lucas,  
Wondering if I can use the gym on Thursday for a class. Fourth period. Let me know.  
-Peyton_

His reply came only moments later, and she didn't smile or frown. She didn't know which was appropriate.

_Peyton,  
No problem. It's all yours.  
Lucas_

He sat in his office, tapping his pencil against the file on his desk. He knew he'd screwed up. He knew that, though his intentions had been pure and he'd thought he was saying the right things, he still shouldn't have said them. He could understand why Peyton was so upset. That said, he felt like it was two steps forward, one step back with her. He couldn't seem to do anything right, and he hated her a little bit (not really, but he pretended) for not just letting him date her. Be with her. Love her. She was making it seem like he was insane for thinking they had a future, and he didn't necessarily appreciate it.

So he'd made the decision to just step back and let her do her own thing, and if she came to him, then he'd be there. He wasn't going to actively try to prove himself. He knew who he was, and she knew it too, and he knew they'd be together eventually. If it took a little longer, then so be it. It would suck to have to wait, but he knew she'd realize it.

Then he looked out the window of his office and saw her walking across the parking lot, her hair blowing a little in the wind and her hips swaying as she made her way to her car. He didn't want to wait at all. He wanted her to realize it _now_.


	10. Chapter 10

Peyton walked through the halls on Thursday, clutching her mug of coffee in one hand and her day planner in the other. Her students were already smiling at her in the hallway when they saw her, which Haley insisted was an accomplishment in a high school. She was wearing just a pair of black pants and a lightweight silk top, since it was still far too hot, if you asked her. Her heels clacked against the linoleum, and she thought she might be starting to get the hang of this daily routine.

She also knew that when she was walking between the teacher's lounge and her classroom between first and second periods, she'd see Lucas walking from his office towards the very lounge she'd just come from. Okay, so she'd picked up on a few things.

More like, she'd learned his schedule so she could avoid him (or not avoid him) when she wanted. Because the truth of it was, when she needed a pick me up mid-day, catching a glimpse of him in his grey or black or blue polo (those were the only colours she'd seen so far) was actually the perfect solution.

But she wasn't using him. Right? And please. As if he wasn't staring at her every chance he got.

She and Haley ate lunch together on the quad, and Peyton was very aware that the only reason that Nathan and Lucas weren't sitting there with them was because they were already working their team members in the weight room.

"So when are you going to start talking to Lucas again?" Haley asked quietly. She took a sip of her water and laughed as Peyton rolled her eyes.

"I'm not...not talking to him."

"Oh. You're just avoiding him and taking the long way to your classroom most of the time. I mean, except when you want to check him out," Haley said. Peyton's jaw dropped and she wanted to know how Haley knew that. "You forget I'm married to Nathan. He was walking with you yesterday, remember?"

"Dammit. He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut," Peyton mumbled. Haley laughed as Peyton shook her head. "I just don't want to give Lucas the wrong idea."

"The idea that you love him?"

"Haley," Peyton groaned, shaking her head.

"Come on, Peyton. How long are you going to do this? He loves you, and he loves your daughter, and...I mean, if he was going to leave Tree Hill, he would have done it by now," Haley insisted.

"I know," Peyton admitted.

"So...what are you waiting for?"

"It just...feels like it can't be this easy," Peyton said. "I'm not trying to make it harder, Haley. I'm...I'm working on it."

Haley sighed, but nodded her head. She didn't understand it, but she knew Peyton well enough to know that in her head, it probably all made sense. "Okay," Haley said softly.

Peyton took a bite of her apple and made a note to kick Nathan's ass at a later date.

----

She led her class of students into the gym where Lucas and Nathan were talking to a few of their returning players. Admittedly, since her conversation with Haley, she hadn't stopped thinking of Lucas. In every imaginable situation. Playing, coaching, walking the halls with that goofy smile on his face after receiving some gentle teasing from one of his players. Shirtless, wearing her favourite jeans of his, and...

She really hated talking to Haley. She always brought up things that Peyton didn't want to talk about. Like Lucas. And being with Lucas. And closing the door to Lucas' office and ripping that polo shirt clean off his body.

Now clearly wasn't the time. She had a group of 20 senior art students behind her, waiting for instruction and explanation as to why they were out of the studio and in the gym.

"Uh, Miss Sawyer?" one girl, Jessica, said. "What's the deal?"

"Sometimes the best thing for an artist can be a change of scenery. I don't expect all our inspiration this semester to come while we're sitting in a stuffy studio," Peyton said seriously. "It's not realistic. So every so often, we're going to change it up."

"That's...awesome," one of the boys said, nodding in appreciation. "So what's our assignment? Like...what are we doing in the gym?"

Peyton smiled as the kids took seats on the bleachers, and Lucas and Nathan threw a few shots a piece as they talked. She found that she still loved the sound of a ball bouncing off the hardwood and echoing through the gym.

"I want you all to pick something in this room - anything. I don't care what it is. But I want you to pick something as your subject, and that will be the focus of your first assignment," Peyton explained. "It doesn't have to be done in any particular style. I just want to see what you can do. So, anything in this room that you feel like using, use it."

One of her students raised his hand, and she pointed at him, gesturing for him to ask his question.

"What if nothing in here speaks to us?"

"Think beyond the physical," Peyton said, completely unaware that both Lucas and Nathan had focused their attention on her. "Think about things that have happened in this gym, or could have happened in here. Try to capture a feeling."

"Like what?" the student asked curiously.

"Like...Like a broken heart." So maybe Peyton was speaking from a few of her experiences. "Or a how it'd feel to make the game-winning shot. A first kiss. Cheerleaders gossiping over the star player. It doesn't have to relate to basketball. Think of what this place would be like empty or dark, or with just one person standing alone. But, if you see something physical in here that you want to draw, by all means, go for it."

The students began spreading out over the bleachers, sketchpads and pencils or pens in hand. Peyton smiled, thinking she may just love this job. She made her way over to where Lucas and Nathan were standing, both with their arms crossed and watching her in awe.

"What?" she asked obliviously.

"I had no idea what you wanted when you asked if you could bring your class in here," Lucas said simply, making her shrug. "Pretty cool assignment, Miss. Sawyer."

"I need to see how they see things before I can really get into proper assignments," she explained. "If they're more literal or more abstract, and..." Both men were looking at her with smiles on their faces. "What?"

"You have that same passion for teaching that Haley has," Nathan pointed out.

"Some people just have to make a bunch of wrong choices before they find the right one," she said, looking at Lucas, realizing that he'd know that was an insult. "I've gotta go. I told them that I'd do every assignment they do, so I better get to work."

She smiled and walked away, moving to sit among her class, and Nathan let out a light laugh.

"Dude, she so hates you," he said as they started walking out of the gym.

"I know," he said dejectedly. He looked to the ground, so he didn't see Nathan rolling his eyes.

"I was joking. She doesn't hate you," Nathan assured his brother. "She's just trying to figure out a million things right now. She'll come around."

"I hope so," Lucas said, taking one last look at her as she sat on the wooden bleachers, legs crossed, sketchpad in hand, hair falling around her face. He saw a shadow of that broken girl he used to know so long ago.

She watched him walk out of the gym, that confident, but somehow sweet swagger that he'd always had. She really hadn't known what she was going to draw when she'd first stepped into that gym, but now it all seemed far too obvious. Her hands seemed to do the work without really thinking, and she felt like a teenager again, sitting among her students as the sound of pencil on paper echoed through the empty space.

----

Peyton sat at her desk in the empty art room after classes had let out for the day. It was Friday, and she'd successfully made it through her first week as a teacher. And now came the marking...

She was pouring over the assignment her students had been working on since the day before, impressed, to say the least. There was a drawing of a boy and a girl kissing, presumably for the first time. One of a player on the bench, head in hands as an opposing team celebrated a win.

She had one in her hands that made her smile, though she didn't know the boy who drew it very well. It was a photo of Nathan standing below his retired jersey, next to his brother, and both men were holding basketballs as they looked out at the empty court, similar to the scene they'd walked in to see that afternoon. There was a caption, and that simple fact made her laugh slightly because it was so similar to how she used to draw. The word "Invincible" was spelled out at the bottom of the page, and it made her wonder how much of the Scott brothers' story the students of Tree Hill High knew. Clearly, a lot of it. It probably helped that Lucas had written all of it down and published it.

She was so lost in that page that she didn't notice the figure standing in the doorway staring at her.

"Anything worth sharing?" he asked with a smirk, referring to her thoughts, though he knew she'd believe he was talking about the art. She would have questioned his timing, but she was actually kind of glad to see him.

"This one is...really amazing," she said, gesturing for Lucas to step inside. She held out the page for him to look at, and as soon as his eyes fell on it, he smiled and let out a chuckle.

"Who did this?" he asked, eyes still fixed on the page.

"Caleb," she explained.

"Oh," he said, chuckling softly. "Yeah, he's on my team."

"I take it he knows all about the Scott boys," she teased, taking the paper back from him.

He perched himself on one of the desks across from hers and watched her as she wrote a note on the marking sheet in front of her before affixing it to the drawing with a paper clip.

"So listen..."

"No," she interrupted him. "I'm sorry about what I said in the gym. I was out of line and really...bitchy."

"Well...thanks. But I was actually just going to ask if you needed a ride home," he said with a smirk. "Haley had to leave early because Deb had..."

"An appointment. Right," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"Yeah, well, Haley couldn't find you so she asked me to tell you that she'll take care of Grace until you can pick her up. But she said that you guys drove in together today. If you want, I can take you over there."

"That would actually be amazing," she said with a smile. "But I really have to finish this, so if you don't want to wait around, I can..."

"I'll wait," he said with a shrug.

She just looked at him. He really _was_ going to be there for her. She hadn't really questioned it, because it was just who he was. He wasn't the kind of guy to leave his friend 'stranded', and he wasn't the kind of guy to not to everything in his power to keep his friends happy. She didn't question whether or not they were actually friends. She thought the might be. Despite the things she'd said. She kind of liked that she could be so bitchy to him (unintentionally, of course), and he wouldn't get all upset about it. It reminded her of the first time they spoke, and a lot of times they spoke after that, when she'd be biting and sarcastic, and he'd just smile and say something he had no idea was insightful. Just thinking of it, she felt the corner of her mouth turn upward and she looked back down at the pages in front of her before he could see her, though she was sure he'd know anyway.

"So, Miss Sawyer, where's _your_ artwork?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"You don't get to see it!" she insisted quickly, thankful that she'd tucked the drawing away in her drawer. She fully intended on drawing something new that evening to share with her class, since what she'd done was far too personal.

"Why not?" he laughed. "Come on, I love your art."

"No, Luke," she almost whined. "Not this one."

"I'm sure it's great and you're just being too hard on yourself," he said with an encouraging smile.

"It's not that," she said quietly, looking down again.

"Okay. I'm sorry," he insisted. "I shouldn't pry. I know how personal your sketches are."

And she looked up again and their eyes locked, and that statement he'd made was exactly the reason why she had always shown him her work. She felt he was the only one who could ever understand. She was sure it was the same now, though she really hadn't wanted to admit it.

She opened the drawer, pulled out her sketchpad, and handed it across the desk to him. She held her breath as he cast his eyes over the page, watching as he raised his eyebrows and smiled - almost hopefully, she noted.

It was different from her old style, though that didn't surprise him at all; it had, after all, been a lot of years, and she was a professional now. It was a beautiful black and white sketch of the two of them, confetti scattered on the floor and caught in her hair as he kissed her, not for the first time, but maybe the most important time. Sure, it hadn't taken place in that gym, but he didn't care in the slightest. She'd lived in that gym every game night since freshman year, and of all the moments she could have drawn, she drew one that included him. What he still considered to be the most important moment of his life, above all else.

He hadn't needed another reminder, but she'd just given him one. He loved her. So much. More than he thought she really understood. He couldn't help but think that if she knew how he honestly felt about her, she wouldn't be so resistant to be with him.

But he knew she didn't want big declarations of all that. And he felt - he honestly did - that she'd realize it soon enough. He was just going to wait until then. Patiently. Or seemingly patiently.

"Wow," he muttered.

"Yeah...now you understand," she said quietly, toying with the green pen in her hands.

"No, I mean, wow, you made me handsome here," he joked, smiling when she looked up at him and laughed. "Really, it's like looking in a mirror."

"Okay, shut up, and give me that back," she said with a smile, reaching out to take the sketch from him.

She placed her sketchpad back in her drawer and returned her attention to the work in front of her, marking and critiquing in silence. She noticed Lucas stand and move around the room, treating it like an art gallery, stopping in front of each drawing or painting and looking at them intently.

"Oh, wow," she said aloud after a while, calling his attention to her, though it had never really waned.

"What?" he asked as he made his way back to her.

"Look at this one," she instructed.

He walked around the desk and stood behind her, placing one hand on the back of her chair and the other on her desk as he leaned down to look at the drawing in front of her. He realized the close proximity may not have been the best idea, but he certainly didn't regret it. He could smell her perfume, and he heard her breathing speed up just that little bit. Just enough to let him know that he still had an affect on her.

"Whoa," he mumbled as he took in the drawing before him.

It was the photo of a player, alone in the gym, with his hands resting on his knees and his head down, with a drop of sweat falling from his face and onto the floor. The subject was, of course, perfect, but even better was the shading and detail was incredible.

"Yeah, it's..."

"Amazing," he observed.

"I'm pretty impressed," she admitted, still staring at the page.

He turned his head to look at her profile, noticing how close he was to her. He should have resisted the urge, but he just couldn't.

"Yours still means more," he said softly in her ear.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, just waiting for him to move away, but he didn't. He stayed exactly where he was, and she could barely handle it.

"Luke," she said softly.

"Yeah," he sighed, stepping away from her.

"We...you can't do this, Okay?" she pleaded calmly. "I can't..."

"Can't what?" he asked as she stood from her place.

"This is already really difficult," she explained as she gathered her things. "This...friendship."

"It's not that difficult," he countered. "You just want it to be."

"What the hell does that mean?" she asked defensively.

"I just mean that it's hard for you, sometimes, to believe that things just are what they are," he said with a shrug, as though it was something she should have already known.

"Are you saying I want the drama and the weirdness?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I think it's easier for you to keep your distance if you _think_ things are weird," he pointed out, smirking as he followed her into the hallway and closed her classroom door behind them.

"Ugh," she groaned. "This is so..."

"Weird?" he filled in, making her laugh. "Peyton, we know how to be friends, right? So if that's what you want, just let it happen."

He made sure to say_ 'if that's what you want' _to remind her once more, subtly, that that wasn't necessarily what he wanted, but what he'd do for her.

"I'll try," she said quietly, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

They were quiet as they walked to his car, but her hands were shaking. She tucked one into the pocket of her jeans, and the other tightly grasped the strap of her bag. Lucas noticed how ill-at-ease she was, and he chuckled softly and shook his head, but she wasn't paying attention and she missed it. He knew it was a good sign that she was nervous around him, but he knew she wouldn't think so, so he didn't mention it. Surely, making fun of her would not be the best way to convince her of anything.

It wasn't until they'd pulled out of the parking lot that she managed to say what had been on her mind.

"Am I being totally...I mean...am I a bitch?" she asked, turning towards him, desperation in her voice.

"What?" he asked laughingly.

"I'm being...I'm...I don't know! I just feel like I'm making you..."

"You're not _making_ me do anything," he insisted, cutting her off. "Stop...freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out!"

"Peyton," he laughed. She tipped her head back and ran her hand over her forehead.

"I just...I hate this, Luke. I really hate it, but...I'm scared out of my mind, and I'm taking it out on you, and I'm just...sorry. Okay? I don't want you to hate me," she said, looking over at him and watching him smirk. "What!?"

"Peyton, I don't know how you don't understand this yet, but I'm not going to hate you," he said seriously. "Ever. Not even a little bit. So...just relax, alright?"

She let out a deep sigh and looked out the window again, and there was a voice in her head that was telling her that maybe she wasn't a bitch, but she was being...stupid. Really stupid. All she'd wanted for years and years was Lucas, and now he was telling her that he loved her (basically) and that he'd always wanted her, too, and that no matter what she needed, he'd be there for her. The thing with Lucas was, she had no reason to believe that he wouldn't keep his word. No reason whatsoever to think that he wouldn't be there when she came around.

So what was the wait?

She made a choice. A choice she'd been trying to ignore for reasons that now seemed stupid and childish.

"Would you like to go on a date with me?" she asked abruptly.

He smiled and let out a breath, then looked over at her, and he loved the sheepish and maybe scared look on her face. He knew he could tease her, give her a gentle ribbing because maybe she deserved it, at least a little bit. He could tell her that she sure seemed to change her mind a lot.

But who was he kidding? He didn't want to blow his chances.

"I'd love to." He smiled and she smiled, and he wanted to take her hand and hold it in his, but he resisted the temptation somehow.

They were quiet for the rest of the short drive, because Lucas didn't want to 'ruin the moment' and Peyton just didn't know what to say. She was nervous, and admittedly freaking out a little bit. She'd just asked him on a date, and it his answer hadn't been so perfect (the words, the tone of voice, the smile) she would have felt like a complete fool for doing something so lame.

The kids were playing outside when Lucas pulled up to the house, and Haley was sitting on the front steps of the house watching the kids with a smile on her face. She really did love how close Grace and Jamie had already become. Grace was excited to see her mom, to tell her all about her day at school, and then when she saw Lucas, she was even happier still. She really did adore him, and she didn't make it a secret.

Peyton sat down next to Haley on the steps while Lucas laughed and talked with the kids, and Peyton let out a sigh, and she really didn't know why. Maybe because she knew it would make Haley ask exactly what she asked.

"What's going on?" she inquired knowingly.

"I did something," Peyton admitted quietly. She didn't say anything more, and she was toying with the strap of her bag, and Haley rolled her eyes.

"What did you do?" she asked, knowing that Peyton needed prompting.

"I asked him on a date," Peyton said, like it was just the most ridiculous thing in the world. "A date. We...we were in a relationship, and we almost got engaged, and I...I asked him on a _date_?" She said it all quickly, and she didn't see the smile on Haley's face. "Am I stupid?"

"No," Haley was quick to insist. "Not at all. I think it's...sweet."

"Sweet?" Peyton asked incredulously. She looked over, and Haley was smiling like a total goof.

"Okay, look. You and Lucas never did anything the right way. You snuck around, and then you crashed and burned. Then you just like, instantly became a serious couple, and...Maybe a date is exactly what you need."

Peyton knew there was a reason she was friends with Haley. The girl had all the answers.

"So...what am I supposed to _do_?" Peyton asked, making them both laugh. "I haven't been on a date in...God, years."

"Peyton," Haley said, slipping her arm through the blonde's as they watched Lucas run around with the kids. "With him? It doesn't matter what you do."

Peyton rest her head on Haley's shoulder and smiled. "You're always right, you know that?" Peyton said seriously.

"Not always," Haley insisted, her tone of voice all coy. "Just most of the time."


	11. Chapter 11

Sunday morning, Brooke went to Nathan and Haley's place to catch up on the gossip. She'd been so busy with work and trying to get everything in order, that she'd completely missed out on a few days' worth of good old THH drama. Needless to say, she was more than just a little giddy to learn that Lucas and Peyton were going on a 'date'. She thought it just a little juvenile, considering, but she also thought it was adorable and maybe exactly what that couple needed. Maybe they needed a night alone, just the two of them, for Peyton to finally admit that was all she really wanted anyway.

"I can't believe they're going on a date," Brooke said, shaking her head.

"I know," Haley said with a laugh.

"Who?" Nathan asked as he walked into the kitchen and headed for the fridge.

"Lucas and Peyton," Haley told him. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten to tell him about it. Actually, she couldn't believe Lucas hadn't talked his ear off about it.

"She agreed to that?" he asked doubtfully.

"_She_ asked _him_," Brooke said, kinking her brow.

"No way," Nathan said, grinning in amusement. Both Brooke and Haley nodded. "Atta girl, Sawyer."

"She's only been back...what, a month? And already it's been non-stop drama," Haley said, shaking her head.

"Are you kidding me? I'm surprised it's taken this long for them to get it together," Brooke insisted.

"Eight years? Or just this month?" Nathan asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He always stood like that when he was right. "Did any of us really believe that they wouldn't get back together?"

The girls exchanged looks before glancing back and Nathan, and he just shrugged his shoulder. He was right. All the time they'd spent in that town without Peyton around, and the three of them had talked about it often. Nathan had always insisted that when (never _if_) Peyton came back to Tree Hill, she and Lucas would basically immediately get married and start popping out babies. Of course, he took it to the extreme just a little bit, but he still thought he was right, however accelerated his plan may have been.

Jamie came down the stairs in his pajamas with his hair shooting off in all directions, and the adults all laughed at him as he sleepily rubbed his eyes.

"Morning, buster," Brooke said as he climbed up onto the seat next to hers at the table.

"Hi Brooke," he mumbled tiredly.

"What's with you? Why so tired?" she asked.

"Maybe because daddy let him eat all sorts of candy then stay up really late last night watching movies," Haley suggested with a raised brow. Nathan looked sheepish and shrugged his shoulder, then he and Jamie shared a smile. They all knew that Haley secretly loved those little evenings father and son shared.

"What are we doing today?" Jamie asked.

"What do you want to do today?" Nathan shot back.

"Zoo."

"The zoo?" Haley asked with a laugh. She loved when Jamie got all cute and tired like this. It reminded her of when he was a baby, since his mannerisms were the same and he always answered questions with very few words.

"Yeah," he insisted. "Can Peyton and Grace come?"

"I dunno. Maybe daddy will call over there while I make you breakfast," Haley said. She stood and dropped a kiss to the top of Jamie's head before walking over to the fridge.

Brooke said her goodbyes, explaining to Jamie that she had too much work to do to go to the zoo with them, but that she'd take him out for ice cream soon, just the two of them. She left the house debating whether or not to head over to the Sawyer household, but she knew better than to do it. She knew that any minute now, Nathan would be waking Peyton up with a phone call, and that was just like poking the bear. She didn't want to get her head bitten off by an already grumpy Peyton.

----

Peyton was sleeping Sunday morning, really enjoying her bed and the darkness of having her blinds pulled closed and the door shut tight. But as she'd learned since adopting that little girl, was that a closed door meant little to nothing, and if Grace was awake, well, then Peyton was going to wake up, too. When the door was pushed open and Grace peeked inside, Peyton almost groaned. She had really underestimated how tiring teaching could be, and then Friday night, Peyton and Grace had cleaned the house. Saturday morning, they'd gone shopping out of town, then Brooke had come over and they'd all made dinner and Grace had done a little bit of school work. The last thing she wanted to do on Sunday was get out of bed before 9:00. She had a 7-year-old who said otherwise.

"Get in here," Peyton said when she saw Grace peering through a crack in the door.

Grace stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, then ran over to the bed and climbed in and lay next to Peyton so they were facing one another. "Morning, mommy."

"Good morning, sweetie."

"What are we doing today?"

"I don't know," Peyton admitted, though the thought of doing anything at all seemed daunting, to say the least. "What do you want to do?"

"I dunno. I'm hungry," Grace said.

"Why do you always make me get out of bed, huh?" Peyton asked, tickling Grace's side and making her squeal. The phone rang, and Grace grabbed it before Peyton could.

"Hi...Hi!...In bed...No, mom's bed!...Yeah. She's right here...Okay...Bye Nathan," Grace said before handing the phone to Peyton. She got up out of the bed and ran into the hall, then started down the stairs, all before Peyton had even thrown back the covers.

"Hello?"

"Hey. I thought I would have woken you," Nathan said.

"No. Grace already got me up," she said with a laugh.

"They'll do that," he mumbled. "So listen, what are you two doing today?"

"Um...to be honest, I haven't really thought past breakfast," she admitted.

"Well, how do you feel about the zoo?"

"The zoo?" she asked as she made her way down the stairs.

"Yeah. You know? Animals, lots of walking, intense September heat, screaming kids..." he listed off, making her laugh.

"Not really selling this, Nate."

"Come on. It'll be fun. Jamie wants to go, and he asked if you guys could come with us," he said, almost pleadingly.

"Hang on. Let me ask my monkey," Peyton said just as she stepped into the kitchen. The nickname made Grace scowl at her and Nathan laugh into the phone. "Honey, you want to go to the zoo with the Scotts today?"

"Yeah!"

"Are you sure, now?" Peyton laughed.

"Is Luke going?" Grace asked excitedly.

"Wow. She loves him almost as much as you do," Nathan mumbled.

"Don't start with me, Nathan," Peyton warned. "Call him, okay? What time are we leaving?"

"Why don't you pick us up at 11:00?" Nathan suggested.

"Oh, now I'm driving!?" she said laughingly.

"I'll pay," he bargained. "I'll call Luke. Just think, it'll almost be like...a _date_ or something."

"You're such an a..." She caught herself before she said the word, which only served to make Nathan laugh harder. "And tell your wife I'm going to kill her for being such a gossip."

"I'll see you in a couple hours," he said.

"Bye, Nate."

She moved around the kitchen, getting things ready to make breakfast, and when she looked over at Grace, she was met with a pleading glance that was more than a little unnerving coming from a seven year old.

"What?"

"Is he coming?" Grace asked.

"I'm not sure," Peyton admitted. "Nathan's going to ask him. I'm sure that once he hears that _you'll_ be there, he'll be first in line to come."

It wasn't really an exaggeration, and it actually made her smile.

"No, mom. I think he wants to see _you_," Grace said, smiling in that innocent way.

Peyton's heart thumped in her chest. Because maybe that wasn't really an exaggeration either.

----

Peyton pulled up to the Scott house, and everyone, Lucas included, was waiting outside. They really didn't expect Grace to jump out of the car almost before it had stopped moving and run towards the house. Peyton got out and just shook her head at her girl.

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked, laughing at Grace.

"I have to pee!"

"Grace!" Peyton cried laughingly.

"I do!" Grace cried. Haley quickly unlocked the door and Grace ran inside, leaving everyone laughing behind her.

"You live five minutes away," Nathan said, shaking his head.

Peyton just shrugged her shoulders. "I know. I told her to go before we left."

"Let me guess. She said she didn't have to," Haley said knowingly. Peyton nodded, since they all knew that was right. "We have one who does that too."

"Why don't you guys hop in. I'll lock the door," Nathan suggested. Jamie was already taking off towards Peyton's car.

"Someone's excited," Peyton said, shaking her head and smiling as she watched Jamie get into the very back row of seats. Peyton assumed he and Grace would want to sit there. It always seemed that if kids didn't want to sit in the front, they wanted to sit in the back. She noticed Lucas walking beside her as Haley made sure Jamie was buckled in. "Hey, Luke."

"Miss Sawyer."

"It's Sunday. You can call me Peyton," she teased. He smiled and bowed his head, and she wondered if he was as nervous around her as she always felt around him. "You excited?"

"I hate the zoo," he admitted, and she smiled.

"I know." He rolled his eyes when she laughed. "So why are you coming?" The look he gave her told her everything. Both she and Grace had been right that morning. It wasn't about the activity for him. It was about the company. "Get in," she said, gesturing to the passenger seat.

He thought it might mean something that she was letting him sit next to her. Maybe he was making more of it than he should have, but he thought it was a good sign. Not that he needed any signs other than her asking him on a date, which he was still smiling about any time he thought of it. But she was telling him to sit next to her, not Haley or Nathan, and he thought that was how it was supposed to be. He was also pretty confident that was the way it would be.

The drive to the zoo was full of a lot of laughter, and Peyton wasn't sure if it was more the kids or Nathan that were making all the noise. Jamie and Grace went on and on about which animals were their favourites and which ones they couldn't wait to see, and Nathan, always a bit of a kid himself, only encouraged them and added in his own suggestions. Lucas and Peyton just shook their heads, and Haley laughed along, more _at_ Nathan than _with_ him.

When they got there, both kids insisted on holding Nathan's hands, since he was the only one who, in their terms, was 'excited enough'. Haley, Peyton and Lucas walked behind the other three, all shaking their heads and quietly talking about how great Nathan was in situations like this. He was still childish enough to be fun, but authoritative enough to set some of the rules.

"Mom!" Grace said excitedly as they walked through the 'mammal house'. "What kind of monkey is that?"

"Oh...um...I don't know, Gracie," Peyton said regrettably. She glanced around for some kind of nameplate, but she found a smiling Haley instead.

"It's a Colobus," Haley supplied. She knelt down between the two kids and Peyton just shook her head. "And you know how most monkeys have thumbs, like people do? Well, these ones don't."

Lucas chuckled softly to himself and Peyton moved to stand beside him. "She makes everything a classroom," she noted, watching Haley continue to explain things like habitat and diet of that particular species to the kids.

"Always," Lucas said.

"I don't know why she's teaching teenagers," Peyton said, shaking her head. "She's so good with kids."

"I could say the same thing about you," he said, looking at her pointedly.

"I like teaching teenagers art. It gives them perspective," she insisted.

He wanted to ask her to elaborate, because he sure liked the way that sounded, and how confident she was in that fact, but he wasn't entirely sure what she meant. That, and he really loved hearing her talk about her passion. He'd always had a soft spot for her artistic abilities. As if he hadn't proven that time and time again. He was about to question her on it, but they were interrupted.

"Shark time," Nathan announced, holding a pamphlet in his hand. Sure enough, when Peyton looked at the page, she saw that the shark show in the IMAX theatre was starting in about ten minutes.

"Yeah!" the kids yelled simultaneously.

Haley just laughed when Lucas' complexion paled. "I think uncle Lucas will sit this one out."

"Probably," Peyton concurred, looking over at him. Nathan just shook his head. All the adults knew of Lucas' phobia. The kids didn't.

"How come?" Grace asked, furrowing her brow as she looked up at him.

"I don't...I don't like sharks," he answered. They all started walking towards the shark show (though Peyton could tell Lucas was only walking because everyone else was), and Grace stood in front of Lucas and walked backwards as she questioned him.

"You don't like them?" she asked.

"Nope. Sharks and I...we're not friends," he said, making Nathan laugh.

"Come on, uncle Lucas!" Jamie pleaded. "You have to come."

"Jamie, sweetie, if Lucas doesn't want to, he doesn't have to," Haley said diplomatically. "The show might be a little scary."

"You're afraid of sharks?" Grace asked, trying not to giggle.

"You're _not_ afraid of sharks?" Lucas shot back.

"They're just fish!"

"Huge fish, with teeth and an appetite for blood!" he argued.

"Honey," Peyton said, stepping between the two. She bent down and took Grace's hands in her own, and it took absolutely everything in Lucas' power not to stare at the expanse of skin between her shirt and her jeans at the small of her back when she knelt that way. "Don't make fun of Luke. Not everyone's as brave as you are."

"That's right, Grace," Nathan said, casing his brother a glance. "Some grown men can't handle it like you can."

"You're a jerk," Lucas said. He squinted at Nathan, and Haley was trying not to laugh, and he admired her for at least that. "You guys go ahead. I'll just hang out."

"Luke!" Grace cried. "You can't stay here all by yourself."

"I can't?" he asked, smiling down at her. She shook her head vehemently and looked to Peyton, and Lucas definitely liked where this was going.

"Mommy, can you stay with him?" Grace asked pleadingly, like he just might not make it through the day if Peyton didn't keep him company.

Peyton sighed dramatically. "Wellll," she drew out. "I suppose I can miss the sharks."

"Okay," Grace said, smiling a little too widely. Haley threw a smile Peyton's way, and it was as though the two women were both wondering when and how Grace became such a little matchmaker. "I'll tell you about it after."

"Okay," Peyton laughed. She kissed Grace's forehead and the girl slipped her hand into Nathan's again.

"Just make sure Lucas isn't around when you do," Nathan teased.

Peyton absentmindedly, or out of habit (could something be habit after so many years?), rest her hand between Lucas' shoulder blades as they stood there together and watched their families walk away. He didn't dare say anything about it; he was enjoying it far too much. He assumed that she didn't even know she was doing it, and he liked that. It served to remind him that nothing was forced between them. They didn't have to try. It was always just there, whether they were aware of it or not.

"Sorry," she said quietly, moving her hand.

"It's okay." He smirked at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. "I really hate sharks."

"I know," she said sympathetically. She realized she almost called him 'baby' like she used to do when they were together and she was soothing him. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

He couldn't say he hated the hint of mischief in her voice. "Get out of here?"

She rolled her eyes and started walking. Of course he followed. "You know my favourite part of the zoo?" she asked. He simply shook his head when she looked at him. "The butterfly pavilion."

"Really? It's always like, a million degrees in there," he said.

"Yeah, but it's pretty," she said, like that was better than anything else, and it wouldn't matter what conditions she was walking into, she'd still do it.

He watched her walk ahead of him just a little bit, smiling at children and parents alike, and he was reminded again that sometime in the years since he'd last seen her, she'd shed that dark weight, that grief and conflict and sadness that she'd always carried around with her when they were younger. Even when she was happy, she wasn't entirely at peace. She seemed calm to him now, like she was sure of herself and her life and her place in the world. And maybe there was a part of him that knew that she wasn't entirely 'at peace', but she put on a brave face and did the things she had to do. On one hand, he knew that was a good thing. A really good thing. She was resilient and brave, and she had a courage he envied (how many people would adopt a four-year-old at 25?). On the other hand, he wanted her to stop pretending and admit to wanting the things she wanted; to not feel it was selfish to ask for something for herself. She hadn't come right out and said it, but that was the impression he was getting from her. He supposed it came along with being a mother, and he understood that, but that didn't mean he didn't want to give her absolutely everything he could.

She stepped through the door to the building that held the butterflies, and Lucas was right behind her. She smiled at him when they were hit with a wave of humid air. She was kind of pleased to find that there weren't many people in the building at all. Either they were at the shark show (which she'd admit she wasn't really crazy about seeing either), or people just didn't care as much about the butterflies as she did.

"You know," she said as they leaned against one railing, "when I was little, the first time I went to visit my mom's grave I was so...scared, and sad, and...just hurting." He nodded like he knew (he did, since he'd felt it the first time he went to see Keith). "Brooke came with me, and she sat by that big oak tree and waited for me. God, we must have been there for hours." She paused to laugh softly, and Lucas had to smile. "I was just sitting there. I didn't know what to say. I was eight, you know? And so I said that I missed her, and I loved her. And then a butterfly came and landed right on my knee." He smiled again. God, he could listen to her tell stories all day. "I just started..._crying_. I told Brooke, and she said that maybe that was my mom's way of telling me she was always there, and she'd always look out for me."

He shook his head in wonder. "That's amazing."

"Ever since then...I never really told anyone, but I've kind of loved butterflies," she admitted quietly. "It's so cliché, I know, but..."

"It doesn't matter," he insisted. "It's your story, and...it's your memory."

"Yeah," she whispered, smiling at him. She should have known he'd understand better than anyone. She should never have doubted that. About anything.

They talked about less heavy topics after that. He made fun of her enthusiasm over seeing the penguins, and she just raised her brow and reminded him that he was pretty excited about that too. She was just about to threaten to tease him about his shark phobia when a blue butterfly landed on his arm. They both stopped walking and locked eyes, and she smiled at him. She didn't say it, and neither did he, but they were both thinking of her mom and the story Peyton had just told. It was silly and probably completely ridiculous to think it, but he wondered if that was some kind of cosmic approval; like her mom was telling her to follow her heart. And even if it wasn't, he knew Peyton would see it that way. He just knew it

Lucas fanned his face when they stepped outside, thankful for the bit of breeze and the fresh air. Peyton ran her hand over the back of her neck, something Lucas found undeniably sexy (this was Peyton; everything she did was sexy), and she began walking towards the little vendor nearby. He followed her, and he was standing beside her when she paid for a couple bottles of water, wordlessly handing one to him.

He checked his watch and they decided to head back over to where they had agreed to meet everyone else, and Peyton's hand brushed his. She was blushing when she glanced over at him, and he smiled. He absolutely loved that such a simple thing, an accidental touch, could make her blush.

"You know this doesn't count, right?" he said, glancing over at her.

"Count for what?"

"Our date," he clarified, making her let out a soft laugh.

"Please, Luke. It may have been a while, but I've got a little more game than that," she told him.

She said it with far more confidence than she was really feeling. She knew that with them, it probably didn't really matter what they did, but she hadn't been on a date in years, and she had no idea what to expect, or what to wear, or how to act. She didn't know about any of that. She had no clue. What if he hated it? What if he only said he liked it because he didn't want to hurt her feelings? Should she take him to dinner? A movie? She wanted to talk to him. If she was telling the truth, she wanted to hold his hand and sit close to him and share secret smiles and do all that stuff they used to do.

She didn't really know how to 'date' Lucas.

Out of nowhere, his hand came to rest on her stomach to stop her from walking into the path of another family. "Whoa," he said with a laugh.

"Sorry. I'm sorry," she said urgently to the family. They just smiled and kept on their way and she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"You okay?" Lucas asked, moving to stand in front of her. She didn't answer right away, and he sensed something was up. "Peyton."

"Yeah! Yeah. I'm fine," she insisted quickly. She flashed him a smile, but he didn't look convinced. "I was just...daydreaming or something." His hand was on her waist as he stood in front of her, and she wasn't entirely sure when that happened or why, but she kind of liked it. A little too much. "Luke."

"Right. Sorry," he said, smirking at her. He moved his hand and she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Daydreaming, huh?" Given their prior conversation, he could only believe that she'd be daydreaming about him; about them. He'd fallen victim to that countless times before.

"Shut up," she said, elbowing him lightly.

"Feel free to daydream about me all you want," he teased.

"Stop it!" she hissed, looking at him with wide eyes.

He laughed and watched as her cheeks turned pink, and he leaned a little closer to her to speak softly in a tone of voice he knew she loved. "It's okay. I daydream about you all the time, too."

Her jaw dropped and she shoved at his chest, making him laugh even harder. "Try a cold shower."

"I have," he mumbled. Her face went red and he was about to apologize when two very excited kids ran their way. "Hey! How was it?"

"So scary!" Jamie said happily, like that was exactly what he wanted. Nathan and Haley just shook their heads. "Like...they were eating big chunks of meat, and there was this guy in a cage, and he almost got bit, and..."

"Okay," Lucas said, holding out his hand as he winced. "Enough. I get it." Both kids started giggling, and Peyton just shook her head. "I think it's time for food."

Grace tucked her little hand into his, and Jamie slipped his hand into Peyton's while he reached for Nathan's other hand. Nathan just chuckled and started walking, and Haley took Grace's free hand in hers, and she and Peyton shared a glance over this situation. All their relationships tripped over one another, and it was kind of funny, really, but what could they do? If Jamie wanted to hold Peyton's hand, she wasn't going to tell him not to. The same went for Grace and Haley. Nathan, Peyton and Jamie walked a little bit ahead of Lucas, Haley and Grace. An older woman sitting at one of the picnic tables watched as Peyton laughed at something Nathan said, and she smiled.

"I'm done here, if you'd like this table," the stranger offered.

"Oh! Thank you," Peyton said, smiling at the gesture.

"What a beautiful family," the woman noted as she gathered her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She walked away before either Nathan or Peyton could correct her, and Jamie was clueless to what was going on. Nathan and Peyton started laughing, and Haley noticed the look on Lucas' face.

"Relax," she whispered as they let go of Grace's hands so she could head towards the table.

"What!?" he asked far too quickly.

"Jealous," Haley said simply, like it was a fact (it was) and he was transparent (he was).

"I am not."

"Are too."

"Hales," he said, shaking his head.

"Alright, alright," she said with a laugh. She smiled knowingly, however, and he rolled his eyes.

And fine, so he was jealous. He wanted people to see him with Peyton and Grace and think they were a family, and it was stupid, and he was jumping so many stages in their relationship and it was probably wrong and completely presumptuous to do so, but he didn't care. They were supposed to be a family, if you asked him, and they would be. Maybe. He was hopeful.

When Peyton gestured to the seat on the other side of Grace so the girl was between them, he smiled and threw a quick (smug) look to Haley.

----

After Peyton dropped Nathan, Haley and Jamie off at their place, she insisted on driving Lucas home. He told her he'd just walk, but she was having none of it, and he knew better than to argue when she was so insistent; she always won anyway.

He opened the door to get out of the car, and he said goodbye to Grace, but Peyton's voice stopped him before he could close the car door behind him.

"Friday night," she said.

He smiled and nodded gently. "Friday."

"Bye, Luke."

"See you tomorrow," he said, as if he was reminding her that they had a whole work week ahead of them where she'd have to see him every day. He winked and closed the door, then started up the steps to his house as Peyton drove away.

"What's Friday?" Grace asked.

Peyton smiled. She couldn't help it. "Lucas and I are going to spend some time together."

"Like dating!?" Grace practically shouted.

"No!" Peyton was quick to answer. She hated lying, but she didn't want to get the girl's hopes up as high as her own were. "No. We're just going to hang out. Like friends do."

"Okay mom," Grace said, not quite believing it. "Can I stay with Brooke?"

Peyton's smile only grew.

Not only was she going on a date with Lucas, but she was going on a date with Lucas and her daughter was probably going to be spending the night out of the house.

Speaking of butterflies...


	12. Chapter 12

When Peyton walked into Clothes Over Bros on Tuesday after school with Grace's hand tucked into hers, she wasn't entirely surprised to see Haley and Brooke both standing there with matching grins on their faces. Grace smiled and dropped her bag on the sofa as she passed, then rushed over to her aunts and Haley lifted her up so she was sitting on the counter. Peyton shook her head and set her own things down before heading over to the counter as Grace told Brooke and Haley all about her school day.

She couldn't say she was really surprised when Brooke kinked her brow and grinned. They both knew exactly why Peyton had stopped in, and it wasn't just to hang out and chat.

She needed something to wear on her date.

"I'm thinking grey," Brooke stated. Haley looked confused, and Grace was far too distracted by the little basket of accessories sitting on the counter next to her. "Dark grey. Silk."

"What are we talking about?" Haley asked.

"A dress," Brooke explained.

"I don't want to wear a dress," Peyton insisted. "But...I like grey. Maybe a funky top and some jeans?"

"Jeans!? You can't wear jeans on a..." Brooke complained, casting a glance to Grace, "_d-a-t-e._"

Grace started laughing wildly, and Peyton just shook her head. "I'm seven and a half!" she giggled. "I can spell, aunt Brooke." Brooke rolled her eyes and tickled Grace's tummy. "And mommy says it's not a date."

"I bet she does," Haley mumbled, shrugging innocently when Peyton glared at her.

"It's not. We're just...I don't even know what we're doing. So I want something pretty, but casual," Peyton explained. She knew that both Haley and Brooke understood Peyton's not wanting to make a big deal of her date with Lucas while Grace was around, since the girl already had some pretty lofty expectations.

"You should wear this, mom," Grace said. She held up a silver bracelet with a few little red beads on it, and Peyton held out her wrist so Grace can slip it on. If she was being honest, she kind of loved the bracelet. It was delicate and pretty, and was clear Grace loved it.

Brooke smiled and headed into the back of the store to search for a top she insisted would be perfect, and Haley looked at Peyton with barely contained glee. She couldn't stop talking about the 'date', and as the days passed, Haley was the most excited of the bunch. Well, maybe the _most_ excited. Peyton was just doing a pretty good job at downplaying exactly how much she was looking forward to the one-on-one time with Lucas. She wasn't really nervous anymore. She was just happy to be able to have some real conversations with him without expectations or interruptions or either of them having to be anywhere else. She wanted to be comfortable, but pretty, and she knew that Brooke would understand that.

"I like red," Grace stated out of nowhere.

"Yeah?" Haley laughed. "So does your mom."

"I know."

"You know her bedroom used to be painted red?" Haley said.

Grace's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. "No!" She looked to Peyton, who was smiling. "You never told me!"

"I didn't know it was a big deal," Peyton said with a laugh.

"You should have a red room again," Grace said, as though it were obvious, a fact. "That'd be cool."

"We'll see," Peyton said. If she was being honest, she kind of missed the red bedroom.

Brooke walked out of the back room holding a simple black shirt dress with plain black buttons down the front and a tie around the waist. As much as Peyton hadn't wanted to wear a dress that one was kind of perfect. Plain and comfortable, and definitely not too dressy. She could wear it with a pair of cute shoes, and it was something she'd be able to wear again.

"I like it," Grace said firmly. "You should wear that."

"Yeah?" Peyton asked. She had kind of already made up her mind anyway.

"Yup. With something red. The bracelet!" Grace cried.

Brooke and Haley both started laughing at Grace's enthusiasm. They both knew that Grace, no matter how much Peyton tried to say otherwise, knew that Peyton was going on a date. And that she was going out with Lucas, and that it was probably going to be a pretty big deal.

"It's all yours," Brooke said seriously. "Now get out of my store and go feed my baby Goddaughter."

"I'm not a baby!" Grace insisted. She shot a scowl in Brooke's direction.

"But you're the youngest person we know, so we'll call you a baby until the next one comes along," Haley explained. Brooke chuckled and nodded her head, and Peyton took the bag she was handed that held the dress.

Grace looked pensive as she mulled it over, and Peyton was just about to lift her up off the counter to set her on her feet when the girl turned to her. "Mommy, will you have a baby so I don't have to be one?"

"Okay, don't believe everything these two tell you," Peyton said while Brooke and Haley laughed. "And maybe _aunt Haley_ should have another baby," she added with a raised brow. "That'd solve the problem too, you know."

"Yeah!" Grace cried, looking up at Haley, who was staring at Peyton. "Please!?"

Haley laughed and ruffled Grace's hair. "We'll see."

Brooke and Peyton looked completely surprised upon hearing that answer, and Haley just smiled. Clearly, there was a conversation they needed to have about that issue soon. It was apparent that Haley had thought about this before, and maybe she and Nathan were trying, or thinking of trying, and either way, it was all very exciting. If Peyton was being honest, she kind of loved the idea of having a baby around.

That night after Grace was tucked in and sleeping, Peyton pulled out that dress and slipped it on, just to make sure it was 'the one'. It was. Definitely. There was a little voice in the back of her head that told her that maybe the guy she was wearing it for was 'the one' too.

----

Peyton was running a little late for school one morning when she'd had to drop Grace off at school and got trapped in a conversation with one of the other parents. It had been pointless and Peyton had tried to explain that she had to go, but the other woman wasn't willing to let her leave before listing off every single allergy her kid had, as if Peyton really cared. Of course, she felt for the boy, but she wasn't exactly planning on feeding him wheat anyway, so it wasn't necessarily on her list of things to take note of. By the time she got to school, it was merely 20 minutes before class started, and she still had to go over her lesson plan for her first class.

She decided to cut through the gym, knowing that it was the quickest way to get to the art room. She used to do it all the time when she was a student at THH, and now she wouldn't even get in trouble for it, since she was a teacher.

She completely forgot about basketball practice, so when she walked into the gym, her black heels hitting the hardwood and echoing through the space, all eyes were on her. Her heart fell when she realized she'd interrupted, but then she met Lucas' gaze and he was smiling (of course he was) and he told his team to get back to work as Peyton walked towards him. Nathan was running drills while Lucas looked on, evaluating players.

"Hi. Sorry," she said.

"No problem," he insisted. "You're a teacher. You're allowed."

"That's what I thought," she said with a laugh. "I just wanted to use the shortcut."

"Don't worry about it."

"The team looks good," she said. Suddenly making it to her class wasn't such a priority. She crossed her arms, mimicking his stance, and watched the players run up and down the court.

"They...don't suck," Lucas said, making them both chuckle. "This is the first year I feel...I feel like we might have something."

She smiled and looked over at him. "You mean like the something you guys had senior year?"

"Something like that," he said softly. Anytime he thought of that night - the championship game - he inevitably thought of Peyton. The way she looked to the ground let him know that maybe she was in the same position. He lay his hand over her wrist, and she stiffened a little bit, surprised by the action. "Nice bracelet."

"Thanks," she said softly. His fingers dancing over the bracelet and her skin had her finding it hard to breathe. "Grace picked it out."

"She's got good taste," he said, smiling over at her. He took his hand off her arm, and she missed it when it was gone. "So you want to tell me what we're doing tomorrow night?"

She shook her head as she started walking away. "It'll just have to be a surprise, Coach Scott."

He took a deep breath as he watched the way her hips moved and the way her legs looked in the skirt and heels she was wearing.

The girl sure knew how to captivate a guy, didn't she?

Nathan just shook his head as he watched Lucas watching Peyton. And okay, even Nathan would admit that she was a beautiful woman; that was no secret. But Lucas was not discreet at all. To the point that even their players noticed the way Lucas seemed to stare at her a little longer than he maybe should.

If they only knew he'd been doing that since he was 11 years old...

"Dude," Nathan said simply, shaking his head as he walked over to Lucas.

"Shut up."

"Where are you going tomorrow?" Nathan asked seriously.

"She won't tell me," Lucas said, very nearly pouting. "I have no idea."

"Only Peyton Sawyer," Nathan said, shaking his head. "Of course, she's not going to tell you."

"As if I'm not already going crazy," Lucas mumbled. He checked the time and blew his whistle before Nathan could make any more comments, and then he shouted out to his players, dismissing them for the day.

Lucas spent the rest of his day in his office, doing some administrative work and filling out all sorts of paper work. He and Nathan sat down that morning and worked out their practice schedule now that they had their team all picked, and Nathan was in charge of getting permission slips from parents. Of course, it was just a formality, but it was an important one, for insurance purposes or something like that. Lucas thought it was a little ridiculous, since any boy in that town who could dribble a ball wanted to play for the Ravens, and their parents typically pushed them to do so.

He pulled his laptop out around noon to do some writing, and he checked a couple emails, one from his mom and another from an old friend from college who now lived in Seattle. He was in the middle of writing a reply back to his mom, smiling as he did so, and there was a knock at the door. He called for the person to come in without even looking up, assuming that it was just one of his players, though they should have all been in class.

"Hey," Peyton said softly. "Are you busy, or..."

"No," he answered quickly, smiling up at her. He knew this was her free period. She'd never sought him out before. "No. I'm just...faking it. What's up?"

"So...I was just thinking," she said as she took the seat across from him. "Grace...she was asking about you last night, and I just thought if you wanted...I mean, if you have time...If you wanted to spend some time with her, or..."

"Why are you nervous?" he asked, interrupting her. He was smirking, and she rolled her eyes at him. "Don't get me wrong, you look cute when you're nervous, but it's just me."

"I know, but..."

"And you know I love that little girl," he said seriously.

Her heart started beating rapidly in her chest, and she couldn't help herself from placing her hand on her chest. It was a knee-jerk reaction from hearing him say those words so sincerely. She knew he meant them, and that meant the world to her. She was _this_ close to telling him that she loved him, and she would have if it wasn't completely ridiculous and out of line.

"You okay?" he asked. He smiled at her knowingly. It was very clear that she was happy to have heard him say what he'd said; what he meant.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she said softly, locking eyes with him. "It just...I wasn't expecting that." She hated that there was an entire desk separating them. The tension was palpable, and all she wanted was to draw the blinds and press her lips to his. And they hadn't even gone on an official date yet. "So...if you want, you could pick her up from school?"

"Is that okay?" he asked skeptically. He knew from the times he'd picked up Jamie that the elementary school was pretty strict about who they released students to.

"I'll call them," she said with a nod.

He smiled at her and toyed with his pen so that he didn't just get up and reach out to her. He wondered if she was feeling the same way he was. "So what are you going to do tonight, then?"

She let out a laugh and looked away from him. If he was going to tease her about being nervous, she'd tease him a little bit, too. "I have a date," she said. His face paled, and he looked at her with a blank expression. "I'm making Nathan dinner in exchange for help painting my bedroom."

"Oh," he said softly.

"But you look cute when you're jealous," she said, grinning at him as she stood from her place.

"I wasn't..."

"Luke," she said simply. "I know you."

"Yes, you do," he told her. "I'll pick her up. And you want her home at like, 8:00?"

"Sounds good," she said. She turned to him when she got to the door, and she noticed that his eyes were fixed on her backside. She wasn't sure which of them was blushing harder. "Subtle."

"Sorry, but...Come on," he said, knowing that didn't really make any sense at all. It did to him, though.

"See you tonight."

He didn't respond, and she left his office. He didn't respond because statements like those from her perfect lips just made him fall even harder for her. She made it sound like they were an official couple. Whether she knew it yet or not, they were going to be one.

----

"What are you and mom doing tomorrow night?"

They were sitting at the beach, him cradling a cup of coffee in his hands, and Grace with a little cup of hot cocoa. They'd had dinner at a little diner he wanted to take her to, then they'd stopped for a drink and she asked if they could go to the beach. And just like her mother, Lucas was completely incapable of saying no to that little girl.

"I'm not sure," Lucas said. "She won't tell me."

"She keeps secrets," Grace said, furrowing her brow. "She does that to me, too."

"Oh yeah?" Lucas said with a laugh.

"Yup. She says that sometimes surprises are good for you," Grace said. "I don't like surprises."

Lucas laughed a little harder. "Sure you do."

"No, I don't!"

"Well...what about today?" he asked, looking over at her. "You didn't know we were going to hang out. That was a surprise." She just looked at him, knowing he was right. "And what about your birthday and Christmas? Don't you like surprises then?"

"That doesn't count!" she said, giggling riotously.

"It doesn't?"

"No!" He started laughing with her, because she was just the cutest thing he'd ever seen, and he loved her little laugh, even when he didn't know what she was laughing for. "You should get her a present."

"A present," he stated skeptically.

"Yup. Girls like presents."

He had to laugh. Even at seven years old, she knew that lesson. "Well, what about flowers?"

Grace shook her head adamantly. "Nope. Flowers are boring."

"Boring?" he asked.

"Yup."

"I'll tell you what," he said, standing and extending his hand. "Why don't we go shopping, and we can pick something out."

"Okay!" Grace said excitedly.

"And then it'll be from both of us," he explained.

He figured this was a good plan. He wouldn't be coming on too strong, because he could tell Peyton that it was all Grace's idea, and it wouldn't be a lie. Not to mention, he knew that Peyton would love the idea of he and Grace shopping together and picking something out. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, he and the little girl were probably the two people who knew her best, and so he was pretty sure they'd come up with something great.

Grace tucked her hand into his as they walked back down the beach towards where his car was parked.

All he could think was, _I could get used to this_.

----

Peyton fussed and fidgeted with her hair for the hundredth time, standing in front of her bathroom mirror, and she kind of regretted insisting that Brooke leave with Grace before she got ready. It was silly, really. She'd lived without Brooke's final approval on her wardrobe choices for years, and now it seemed she needed it. But the brunette had picked the dress, and Peyton knew that was as good as a stamp of approval. Besides, Brooke had designed the thing, so there was no way she wouldn't like it.

She had told Lucas she'd pick him up, insisting that she had asked him out, so she would drive, and he'd looked at her like she was crazy, like there was no way his chivalrous self would let her drive anywhere. He said he'd pick her up at 7:00.

It was 7:02 when there was a knock at the door. She smiled to herself. Since when did Lucas actually knock at her door?

She walked down the stairs with her shoes in her hand and pulled the door open to see him standing there in a pair of dark jeans and a dark grey button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. He looked...really damn sexy. She wasn't surprised at all.

"Hi," she said, smiling nervously. "Just let me grab my purse." She tried to move away, but he reached out and cupped her elbow. She turned back to him and he gave her a smile that sped her heart rate.

"You look...amazing," he said softly. "So beautiful."

"Thank you." She took a deep breath and stepped into her shoes, not missing the way he looked her up and down as she did so. She reached for the little bag she was carrying for the night, and turned back to him. "You look great too. You know that, right?"

He laughed and stepped outside. "I do now." She pulled the door closed and locked it, and he noticed that bracelet on her wrist. It made him smile that the piece seemed to be a staple in her collection now. "So where are we going?"

"This would be so much easier if you'd just let me drive," she said as they walked down the steps.

He glanced to his car, parked on the street in front of her house, and to her SUV sitting in the driveway, and he sighed deeply. He knew her, and he knew that she'd keep making little comments all night long if he didn't just give in. And there was a part of him, he'd admit, that kind of loved not knowing what they were doing. She seemed to like being the one in control, so he'd let her be, since it would make her more comfortable with the whole situation.

"Fine."

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes. Really," he said. She smiled at him, one of those perfect, holding-nothing-back smiles, and he knew he wouldn't doubt his choice.

They got into her car, and they were quiet until they were at the stop sign at the end of her street. She looked over at him, looking so comfortable sitting next to her, and she smiled. "I'll even let you play with the radio."

"Whoa." He laughed to himself. He'd never heard her say that before. Ever. To anyone. It had to mean something that she'd say it to him. "That's...shocking."

"What can I say?" she asked, looking over at him. "I guess I trust you."

They both knew she did. They knew it very well. She wouldn't leave Grace with him if she didn't. She wouldn't be on a date with him if she didn't.

He found a classic rock station - so predictable - and left the volume low enough that they could talk over. It was the least typical first date in history. They already knew almost everything, the first-date basics anyway, so they talked about work and their friends and the goings on in their town, like any normal couple would do. They talked about Jamie and Grace, and they talked about the upcoming first game of the season.

He had no idea where they were going. He didn't ask, because he knew she wouldn't tell him anyway. It must have been an hour and a half away from Tree Hill when he finally realized where they were and what they might be doing. When she pulled into the parking lot of that old diner in the middle of nowhere, she smiled over at him and he shook his head.

"Wow," he whispered as she cut the engine. "That's a memory."

"That was a great day," she told him needlessly. "Good pie."

"Good company," he said softly.

They walked into the diner and found a table, and after they'd ordered their sodas and, not surprisingly, a bunch of food to share, Peyton immediately reached for the pie menu. Lucas laughed and she shrugged her shoulders. He felt the little box in his pocket, and he smiled to himself before pulling it out and setting it on the table.

"What's that?" she asked curiously. She almost looked scared. It wasn't a ring box or anything, but it was definitely jewelry of some sort.

"Grace and I got you a present."

"You and...Why?" Her heart was absolutely melting. Not only had he gotten her something, but he'd shopped for it with her daughter. That was adorable and sweet and loving.

"She thought I should get you a present. I couldn't really argue," he said. She smiled and shook her head as he slid the box towards her. "We picked it up last night."

"You didn't have to get me anything," she insisted.

"Just open it," he said. She sighed dramatically, but she was smiling, and when she pulled the top off the little white box, she looked over at him in wonder. Inside was a delicate silver necklace with a little butterfly charm. It was simple and delicate and just...perfect.

"Lucas," she whispered. "It's beautiful."

"Grace actually found it," he admitted. "She's got a knack for picking out jewelry, apparently." He moved around the table to sit next to her, and he pulled the necklace from the box. "Here." She moved her hair aside and he fastened the necklace, resting his hands on her shoulders momentarily before moving back to his side of the table. "Perfect."

"Thank you," she said quietly, toying with the little butterfly as it hung around her neck. "I love it."

"She said you would."

Their food arrived and Peyton relentlessly hogged the plate of nachos, just like he knew she would do. He picked at the plate of french fries and they laughed at each others' habits. Habits that hadn't changed in years, and probably never would. He loved that he didn't have to ask if she wanted ketchup on top of the fries or on the side to dip (as silly as it was), and she thought it was amazing that he knew she hated sour cream, so he put it on his side of the table, out of her way. It was the little things that made them perfect for each other, and when she looked at him across the table at one point, the smile she gave him let him know she was thinking the exact same things.

They ordered their dessert - lemon meringue pie for him, apple for her - and when Peyton crossed her legs beneath the table, the toe of her shoe hit the inside of his calf. She blushed and he smiled, and he had to swallow his comments when she moved her foot insanely slowly away from his leg so they weren't touching anymore. He knew she knew what she was doing. He was glad she was being so flirtatious, as much as it was killing him.

"I have a confession to make," he said seriously as they started in on their dessert. She narrowed her eyes questioningly. "That day...I paid the bill when you went outside."

She laughed softly and shook her head. "I know."

"You...You know?"

"Please. Lucas, do you honestly think I believed that _you_, who grew up in a café, would skip out on a bill?" she asked. He laughed and nodded, because he should have known. "Why do you think I told you to meet me outside?"

"You knew I was going to pay!" he cried, squinting at her.

"Of course."

"So you let me think that I was being so sweet, letting _you_ believe that you were being all badass," he stated. She shrugged her shoulder coyly. "It's kind of insane how well we know each other."

"It kind of is," she said quietly.

Lucas wouldn't let Peyton pay the bill, and she wasn't really surprised, but she argued it anyway. As soon as they were outside, Peyton tossed her keys to him and said that it was his turn to pick something for them to do. And she'd also always said that she loved it when he drove them places. She knew they both had to remember that. Really, had they forgotten anything else?

They wound up at the beach, and Peyton didn't question it at all. She'd almost expected it. Lucas laughed when she tossed her shoes in the front seat of her SUV before they started towards the sand. She wanted desperately to hold his hand. She knew she could have reached out and grabbed it and he wouldn't have questioned it, but they were, apparently (by her definition) taking things slow. She wouldn't rush anything, and as adolescent as it was, holding hands seemed like a big step for them.

"Do you have to be home at any specific time?" he asked politely. She loved him for that. He was worried about getting her home for her daughter. God, that was sexy.

"Grace is staying with Brooke for the night."

"Is she?" he asked, an air of innuendo in his words.

Peyton looked over at him with a raised brow. "I don't kiss on the first date."

"You kissed before the first date," he reminded her.

"Shut up!" she cried, shoving his arm. He reached for her hand and carefully, deliberately, wove their fingers together. She didn't pull away, and he didn't apologize. It was perfect that way.

They walked for a while, talking about whatever they wanted to talk about. She honestly felt like they were a couple already, on a random date night. Maybe they were. She didn't want anyone else, and he didn't want anyone else, and what the hell was she doing not just being his girlfriend? She felt the same things in high school after the night of their first kiss.

This was the same situation. He was offering her everything, and she was too scared to take it. He was promising her he'd do anything for her, and she was too stubborn to admit she wanted it.

Well, not anymore. She held his hand a little tighter as they walked back towards where the car was parked, and she realized that she wasn't ready for the night to end yet. She suggested they sit down, and Lucas smiled and nodded. As soon as they were seated on the sand in the dark (the sun had long since gone down) Lucas wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned into him a little bit. She'd never honestly felt more comfortable. Never. He kissed her temple - he couldn't help himself - when she told him so.

It was well after 11:00 by the time they agreed to call it a night. He drove them back to her place, and they held hands the entire way. He walked her to the door, silence surrounding them, light coming from only the porch light.

"This was...really, really nice," Peyton said, turning to him as she toyed with her keys.

"Yeah," he said quietly. He saw her looking to the ground, and he knew that she wanted him to kiss her, no matter what she'd said before.

And really, he was right. It wasn't like she hadn't kissed him before.

"So this - I mean, technically - isn't our first date, right?" she noted. She looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"Technically?" he asked, smirking at her when she nodded. "_Technically_, no."

"So, if I kissed you...hypothetically speaking...that wouldn't be breaking any rules."

"No," he was quick to insist.

She smiled and he placed his hands on her hips. She took a breath as he pulled her closer. For some reason, it felt like a first kiss. It was a first kiss moment. It was their 'first date' and they were on her porch after an incredible evening and a moonlit walk on the beach and it was all perfect, and he was hesitating a bit, because he wanted to remember every detail of the moment.

Apparently he took too long.

She pressed herself against him just slightly, and he moaned a little bit when her lips met his. He had no idea how it had only been, really, a couple weeks since the last time they kissed, but it felt completely different this time. Maybe because they had that big talk, that conversation about their past. They weren't just kissing because they couldn't not kiss, they were kissing because they chose to. They knew the situation, their issues were out in the air, and they were kissing because they wanted to.

His hand found her cheek, and hers found the back of his neck, and when they parted, they each sighed. It was something like relief mixed in with complete contentment.

"Goodnight, Peyton," he said softly.

He kissed her gently one last time, and she was completely speechless as he took her keys and unlocked the door for her. She didn't say anything as he let her go and she stepped into the house. She stood inside her empty home, a thousand butterflies fluttering in her stomach, and she realized why she hadn't dared to say a word.

She's almost certain that if she'd opened her mouth, the only thing she would have thought to say would have been_ I love you_.


	13. Chapter 13

Peyton awoke to the phone next to her bed ringing. She wouldn't have even bothered picking up, but when she looked at the clock she saw that it was after 9:00, and she didn't really have any business staying in bed anyway.

"Hello," she answered sleepily.

"Good morning."

"Lucas," she said. Her voice was full of all kinds of contentment. She was giving herself away.

But really? She thought it was about time she give herself away.

"I woke you up," he noted. "I'm sorry."

"No. No, it's okay," she insisted. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," he said softly. "See, I went out with this gorgeous woman last night."

"Oh yeah?" she laughed. "How'd that go?"

"Could have been better."

"Really?" she asked, laughing a little harder as she laid back against her pillows. "How so?"

"Well, we could be sharing breakfast right now," he said slyly.

"Lucas!" she cried.

"Actually, how _do_ you feel about breakfast?" he asked.

She smiled and let her heart flutter in her chest. Something about holding the phone to her ear as she lay in bed, talking to Lucas and hearing that amazing voice of his through the line...Well, she could get used to that. She didn't regret not asking him in the night before. It wouldn't have been right. As much as they'd been stalling (okay, _she'd_ been stalling) she didn't want to rush into anything physical. Even though Grace hadn't been around, Peyton certainly didn't want to have to explain the birds and the bees to her seven and a half year old. Grace was a perceptive child, and Peyton knew that if she and Lucas were to spend the night together and Grace found out, it wouldn't cause fireworks, but it'd get her hopes up. And Peyton's hopes up. If they took their relationship there before they were ready - before she was ready - it would stress her out and send her head into a spin. Slow was good. Slow was working.

"I feel good about it."

"Good," he said. "Because I'm on your front porch."

"What?!" she cried, bolting upright in her bed. "You are _not_ on my front porch right now!"

"Yeah, and since you never did tell me where the spare key was..."

"Oh God," she mumbled. "This isn't...I look...I'm in my pajamas, Luke."

He chuckled softly as he heard the rustling of sheets. "I'm definitely okay with that."

"Can you give me...five minutes?"

"Come on, I'm sure you look amazing. You always do. And besides, I've pretty much seen you in anything. Or...nothi..."

"Stop!" she cried laughingly. "I'm hanging up."

He shook his head as he tucked his phone back into his pocket, and the door swung open moments later. She was wearing a grey tank top and a pair of tight black sweatpants. He, of course, didn't know that she definitely hadn't been wearing those pants as she slept. He didn't _need_ to know that either. She had pulled her hair up into a ponytail, and her face was devoid of any makeup. He smiled at her. She looked incredible.

"Hi," she said quietly. "Come in."

He stepped inside and followed her into the kitchen. He handed her the paper cup of coffee he'd brought for her, and she smiled when she saw that it was a large. He knew her well. He pulled a chocolate croissant - her favourite - out of a paper bag, and some sort of delicious looking fruit and yogurt thing, and when she sat down next to him at the table, she noticed he had only a cup of coffee.

"I already ate," he told her, knowing she was about to ask.

"How long have you been up?"

"A couple hours. I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. I was...thinking about you," he admitted. He was looking to his cup and he didn't see her smiling. "Is that creepy? That's totally creepy."

"Not really," she said quietly. "I couldn't get to sleep last night for the same reason." He smiled bashfully and she thought she might have seen him blush. He was so adorable. Only Lucas would bring her breakfast first thing in the morning after being apart for less than 12 hours. "You wanna kiss me?"

"What?" he asked with a laugh. He looked over at her and she was wearing a private little smile.

"Do you want to kiss me?"

He moved closer to her, sitting right at the edge of his seat and reaching over to drape his arm over the back of her chair. "Peyton, I always want to kiss you."

So he did just that. He placed his palm on her cheek and pressed his lips to hers gently, and when he tried to pull away, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close. Sure, they'd had some pretty steamy moments since she'd returned, but this one felt different. They were alone, and they'd had a date, and they'd kissed the night before. He was very aware of her hand on his thigh and the little mewl she'd let out every so often. She quickly ended up sitting on his lap, not that he protested, her food and coffee forgotten. She ran her hand through his hair as they kissed, and his hand slipped beneath the fabric of her shirt to feel the smooth skin of her side.

"Peyton," he said when she shifted in his lap. He was sure she was trying to kill him.

She didn't say anything. She just took his face in her hands and kissed him heatedly, knowing that would shut him up. She didn't want to talk. She wanted to make out like teenagers, knowing that it wasn't really going to lead anywhere. She just wanted to get reacquainted with him this way. She wanted to remember how his lips felt against hers and how it felt to have him breathe out her name. Judging by the way his body was reacting, he wanted it too. And probably more.

By the time they stopped kissing (because she needed to, not because she wanted to) her coffee was cold and her cheeks were hot and she was completely breathless. His hands were still on her waist as she rest her forehead against his.

"Sorry," she said quietly.

"Sorry?" he asked. "You're apologizing for that?"

She rolled her eyes at the smile he was wearing, boyish and accomplished at the same time, and she kissed him just once, gently. She got up and straightened out her top and put some space between them. She wasn't embarrassed at all like she'd been, at least a little bit, the last couple times she'd kissed him. They were...something now. Well, really, they'd always been something.

"You want... fresh coffee?" she asked, smiling at him from where she stood at the counter.

"Sure," he said with a laugh.

So a half hour long make out session at her kitchen table wasn't exactly what he'd expected when he decided to surprise her with breakfast. He'd be a damn fool to complain about it.

----

Haley was sitting in the living room of Brooke's house with Grace next to her and Brooke sitting not too far away. She'd come over to get the dish on the date, not realizing that Grace had spent the night. Brooke, of course, saw through Haley's explanation that she just wanted to 'hang out', but they'd simply turned on some music and spent the morning just the three of them, chatting and laughing. Haley was certainly glad that Grace was so comfortable without Peyton around. It was nice to spend some more time with the girl, and hanging out with Brooke was something she was obviously used to.

When Grace got up to run to the washroom, Haley and Brooke's eyes locked across the room.

"Have you heard anything?" Brooke whispered.

"No! I tried to call him earlier, but there was no answer."

Brooke narrowed her eyes curiously. "You don't think they..."

"No. No...Right?" Haley asked, her voice laced with all kinds of uncertainty. "They wouldn't."

"Haley," Brooke said. "It's them. They're..._them_."

"Yeah, but..."

Haley stopped talking when Grace padded back into the room, but she knew that both she and Brooke would be wondering the same thing for the rest of the afternoon. On one hand, she knew Peyton wanted to take it all slow. On the other hand, she knew that was basically a foreign concept when it came to Lucas and Peyton.

----

Peyton and Lucas sat together on her sofa, and it was as though this was all an extension of their date the night before. She'd quickly showered and thrown on a pair of jeans and tee shirt and blown her hair dry. Lucas just chuckled to himself as he heard her clanging around upstairs and he thought that maybe what Grace had told him about Peyton always being a little crazy was true. She'd changed a little since he knew her, and he found he liked it. She was a little bit frantic, and he liked being the one trying to keep her calm. When she'd come back downstairs, she wrapped her arms around his torso immediately. It was definitely a surprise, but he definitely liked it. He just held her back and smiled to himself when she planted a sweet little kiss to the side of his neck.

For all the resisting she'd done, she certainly seemed to turn around quick.

"What time is Grace getting back?" he asked during a commercial break in the documentary they were watching.

"I'm not sure. Brooke just said she'd bring her back this afternoon." He just nodded, and she pulled away from where she was so comfortable sitting with his arm around her shoulder. "Why?"

"I was just thinking...I mean, if you wanted me to go before she gets back..."

She shrugged her shoulder and leaned against him again. "Why would I?"

"I just wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea," he explained.

"I'm a little more worried about giving Brooke the wrong idea," she said, making them both laugh. "It's fine. We're just hanging out."

"Yeah." He said nothing more, and there was something about that, that told Peyton he wanted to say more, he just wasn't sure if he should.

"Okay, what?" she asked, shifting again, tucking her leg beneath her so she was facing him.

"Nothing. This is nice, though," he said quietly, reaching out and placing his palm on her cheek delicately. She smiled and nodded her head. "I didn't really mean to take up your whole day."

"It's not like I'm protesting," she reminded him.

"Maybe that's why I'm kind of surprised."

"What do you mean?" she asked laughingly, unable to even pretend to be serious. "You mean all those signs I've been sending you didn't point to us cuddling up on my couch?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No. Not exactly."

"I am sorry about that," she said sincerely. He shook his head, but she continued anyway. "I just...I never did want to admit when I needed someone, and..."

"You don't _need_ me, Peyton," he was quick to insist.

"I think I _do_, though," she said. "And it's okay. What I mean is that there's nothing wrong with that."

"No," he said quietly as she moved a little bit closer to him.

"I like who I am when I'm with you," she admitted softly. "I know that sounds cheesy and cliché, but when I think about the times in my life when I was the happiest...Luke, you were always there."

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her, because he just couldn't help it after that. Mostly because he felt exactly the same way. "And I'm here now."

He knew when she placed her palm on his chest, that she'd feel how rapidly his heart was beating. He was just fine with that. Those words she'd just said, that quiet admission, was as close to an _I love you_ as they'd come, and it gave him even more hope that someday soon, they'd say the real words. Not to mention, what man doesn't want to hear that his girl was always happiest with him?

She laid down and pulled him with her so that his chest was pressed against her back and his arm was wrapped around her waist. He couldn't remember the last time he had such a lazy day, but he was genuinely loving doing nothing with her.

She looked down at his wrist and saw the cross tattoo she'd been so curious about that first day she saw him in the park. She traced it with her finger over and over again. He didn't necessarily know why she was doing that, but it felt nice, so he kissed her temple. Even if you asked him, he wouldn't have been able to describe how amazing it felt to be able to do that so freely.

"When did you get this?" she asked, still outlining the shape with her fingertip.

"The five-year anniversary of Keith's death," he said quietly. "Lindsey had left and Dan had gotten out of prison. Nathan and Haley had that rough patch, and the whole kidnapping thing with Jamie. I just felt like...like life was just a terrible bunch of events all thrown together." She turned a little bit and he looked at her, knowing she'd be thinking back on her own life's circumstances. "Then I found Keith's old Bible at home, tucked away on the bookshelf. I never even knew it was there."

"You read it, didn't you?" she asked with a slight grin, making him let out a breathy laugh at how well she still knew him.

"Cover to cover," he admitted. "He'd marked his favourite passages and everything. It just helped me get perspective, which was exactly what I needed. It was almost like he left it for me to find it at the perfect time."

She smiled and closed her eyes, turning in his arms so she was facing him. "I like it," Peyton said, resting her palm over the black ink as his hand sat at the curve of her waist.

"Good," he said sincerely.

"I like this, too," she insisted. They both knew she was referring to the fact that they were laying there together, talking about things that actually meant something. Meant a lot.

She leaned closer and brushed her lips against his gently, but when she tried to pull away, his hand pressed her closer to him and he kissed her with a little bit more intensity. She didn't complain, he noticed. Her tongue had just swept into his mouth, and his hand was tangled in her hair, and the vibration of his phone in his pocket made them both laugh, then pull away.

"Sorry," he said, grimacing as she sat up, running her fingertips over her mouth. She smiled at him as he reached for his phone and answered.

Peyton stepped into the kitchen for a drink of cold water while Lucas took his call, and she felt like her entire body was buzzing. She could tell her face was flushed, and her stomach was wonderfully off-balance, just the way it had always gotten after kissing Lucas. She knew the interruptions were probably a good thing, but she couldn't say she didn't want to lock all the doors, turn out all the lights, and disconnect all the phones. She liked being alone with him. Maybe too much. Either way, she knew slow was the way to go. She just needed her body to realize that too. They'd been on one date, and they'd kissed a handful of times. They could do this, the...refraining thing. They'd done it before, senior year when they wanted it to be perfect. The difference now was that they weren't 17 and while it was still a significant step, she wanted desperately to just be with him. In whatever ways that meant.

"I'm sorry," Lucas said, stepping into the kitchen. She turned around and he was scrolling through the contacts in his phone. "I've gotta go. One of my players just got in a car accident."

"Oh, my god," she said seriously, setting down her glass and walking over to him. "Is he okay?"

"He's okay. His knee is a little messed up," Lucas informed her. She shook her head sympathetically. "I don't know how bad it is."

"Go!" she insisted. He almost laughed. She obviously didn't take offense to his sudden departure. "Seriously. Go see how he is. Call me later?" He smiled when she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, and he kissed her gently. "Thanks for breakfast."

"Thanks for...everything," he said, making them both laugh. She kissed him again, and he could have sworn they were teenagers again, unable to properly say goodbye without a series of kisses. If he was being honest, he kind of hoped that never changed. "I'll see you...Monday?"

"Yeah. I guess," she said, a content little smile on her lips.

She walked him to the door and they said goodbye for about the fifth time, and Lucas kissed her forehead before turning to walk out the door. Peyton was having none of that. She grabbed his arm and ignored the smirk on his face before she kissed him properly. They said nothing more before he left the house, and as soon as she'd closed the door behind her, she felt as though she might scream from happiness. She couldn't even be mad at herself for not getting to this point with him sooner, she was _that happy_.

She wanted girl talk, or to occupy herself with Grace, or...something. When she called Brooke and told her to bring ice cream and Grace over, Brooke actually squealed into the phone. She knew that Peyton's tone of voice and request for ice cream only meant good things.

----

Haley begged Lucas for information over the phone on Saturday evening. And on Sunday morning. And then again on Sunday evening. All he'd tell her was that he and Peyton had had a good time on their date, and he'd brought her coffee Saturday morning. He didn't love that whole 'kiss and tell' thing, and he didn't know what Peyton was telling anyone, or if she'd want him to say anything. He figured she'd tell Brooke 'everything', because knowing Brooke, Peyton wouldn't get out of telling _everything_. But if she wanted to tell Haley, she could tell her. He was going to leave all that in her court. She knew where he stood. He practically wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

At their Monday morning practice, Nathan explained that he'd gotten in trouble for not getting all the details on Saturday when they'd gone to see Justin, their injured player. Of course, Haley was concerned for the student - he was in her english class - but she thought that maybe Nathan would have asked about the date. He had. Lucas had said it had gone well. He figured that was as good an answer as he needed. He knew the girls were all going to talk anyway, so he didn't think he needed to be involved. Apparently he was wrong. Lucas just laughed and shook his head, and Nathan asked him if he was just torturing Haley for the hell of it. Lucas grinned and shrugged his shoulder, and Nathan laughed. Of course he was, at least a little.

When he walked into his office after overseeing the sophomore boys' gym class since the teacher was away, he noticed that there was someone sitting in his chair. The only people who were allowed to do that were Nathan and Haley. He wasn't exactly impressed to see his door closed and the chair turned to look out the window. Nathan had gone home and Haley was in class.

And then he caught sight of a pair of heels he loved and a wisp of blonde hair, and when he pushed the door open, she turned to face him.

"Hi."

"Hi," he said, smiling as he dropped his mail on his desk. "What are you doing in here?"

"Taking advantage of my free period," she explained. "The teachers' lounge smells like books and stale coffee."

"Hmm." He squinted contemplatively at the work she had in her hands and on his desk.

"Am I...stepping on your toes or something?" she asked worriedly. "I just thought I..."

"No," he insisted. "No, it's okay. Stay."

"Are you sure?" She smiled at him and he shook his head. "If I'm in your way..."

"You're not. Do your thing."

"What are you gonna do?"

He leaned over, placing his hands on the desk that was separating them. "I'm going to kiss you, then I'm going to look over the list of JV players and see who I can get to fill the space on my roster until Justin comes back."

She just smiled and moved forward so her lips were closer to his, and when he kissed her, she rest her hand over his on the desk. When he tried to pull away after a chaste kiss, she reached up and placed her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him close again. He grinned at her and she bit her bottom lip, and he didn't fail to notice the colour on her cheeks when she reached for her pen and focused on her work again.

It was nice, she decided, working in his office with him there. It was quiet, save for pen strokes and rustling papers, and every so often, they'd steal glances. She'd catch him looking at her, or he'd catch her looking at him, and they'd just smile, because there was nothing wrong with any of it. He was allowed to notice the way she twirled her pen between her fingers, and she was allowed to notice how blue his eyes looked when he wore that black Ravens polo.

After about 20 minutes, she decided to break the silence. Not because it was bothering her, but because she was afraid if she didn't just say something and make idle conversation, she'd do something crazy like tell him to close the blinds and lock the door.

"Anything?" she asked, dropping her pen and running her fingers through her hair.

"Kind of." He set his papers on the chair next to him and rest his elbows on his knees, leaning forward in his seat. "It's just a bench position, basically."

"Right."

"I just have to have a full roster, and..." He noticed she was just staring at him blankly, seemingly not interested in what he was saying. "You really don't care, do you?"

"I do!" she insisted, laughing at him. "I do. I just like this. Talking with you."

"Good," he said quietly. She sifted through some papers before finding the one she needed. "Don't hate me for asking, but...what is this?" he asked. She looked up at him and he couldn't read the expression on her face. "I mean, I know we're...No. I don't know what we're doing."

She laughed softly and toyed with the pen in her hands. "I don't know what to call it."

"Well, should we try to figure it out?" he asked. "I mean...I know we've only been on one date, but...It's us, Peyton. There's really only one way for this all to go."

"What?" She looked at him with a little grin that he wanted to kiss, and a kinked brow, and he knew that she knew what he meant, but she wanted him to spell it out.

"We're going to end up together."

She expected a similar response, but she was still surprised by his confidence. "We are?"

"Yes," he insisted. "And stop pretending like you don't already know that." She laughed again, and he loved that she wasn't denying it. They were on the same page. Finally. His heart flipped in his chest (well, it did something in there), and he had to swallow a thousand ways to tell her he loved her. "I just know you're...hesitant, but..."

"I'm not hesitant anymore," she interrupted. He raised his brow questioningly. "I'm not."

"Okay, maybe you aren't, but you have Grace."

"Who _loves_ you, Lucas." He smiled bashfully and looked to the floor, and suddenly, sitting across from him with the desk separating them seemed like the worst way to have the conversation they were having. She got up and walked over to sit next to him. "I'm not saying we should do anything crazy, but...I like how this is going."

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"So maybe we should just keep doing this like we have been," she said, shrugging one shoulder. "Dating and spending time together."

"But what do I call you?"

She smiled and slipped her hand into his. He was so cute, always having to label things. Okay, maybe not always, but it was definitely sweet that he was so concerned. "What do you want to call me?"

"Honestly?" he asked, looking at her slyly from the corner of his eye. "I want to call you my wife."

"Okay, well, let's just not...go there yet," she said quietly, making them both laugh.

But her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, because even though he'd basically been saying that since she came back to town, she still couldn't quite wrap her head around him, even after all these years, still being so intent on marrying her. But then, she thought, she was pretty (albeit much more quietly) intent on marrying him, too.

"Right. We both know the surprise proposal..."

"Lucas," she said pleadingly, making him chuckle. "Don't make that joke. Like...ever," she insisted. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, and that was all the apology she needed.

"Can I call you my girlfriend?" he asked, really not knowing what her answer would be. "Are you okay with that?"

"I'm more than okay with that," she said, turning towards him a little more, their knees touching. She kissed him or he kissed her, not that it mattered which, and she kept her eyes closed for a moment after. "Much more than okay with that." He smiled and nodded, and kissed her again. "But I think we should hold off on telling Grace."

"Oh."

"Really? Still with the_ 'oh'_?" she teased, nudging his knee gently with her own. "I just don't want to confuse her. I mean, I want you to be around her and...us...but it's just too soon."

"Okay," he said, nodding his head. "How about you let me make you two beautiful girls dinner some night this week?"

She closed her eyes and let out a breath, resting her forehead against his. "You're...don't say things like that."

"How come?" he asked with a laugh.

"Because I'm on the clock," she murmured. They both knew that she meant that his words were starting something she couldn't let him finish. "I have a class in 20 minutes."

"Are you forgetting what I can do in 20 minutes?" he asked, grinning wolfishly.

"Stop."

"I can tell you don't really want me to."

She breathed out a heavy breath, loaded with all kinds of lust and emotion, and she pulled away and stood up, straightening out her skirt and walking back to the desk. She started gathering her things, trying to ignore him, but he knew she was doing it and he placed his hands on her hips. She arched her back just slightly, probably thinking he wouldn't even notice, and he brushed her hair aside with his nose, placing a gentle kiss to her temple.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I have a class in 20 minutes," she repeated.

"So?"

"So I..." She couldn't speak when he pressed himself against her back and started kissing her neck. "Luke."

If all she ever said was his name, he was almost certain that he'd be okay with that. Maybe not, but in his haze of her coconut shampoo, smooth skin, those legs and that skirt, it seemed like a realistic option.

"Stay," he requested between kisses.

"Don't do this," she pleaded. But no, she didn't want him to stop kissing her neck the way he was. "Because...I'm already...on Saturday we were...and I had to stop it, and..._Lucas_."

"God, you're adorable when you ramble." He kissed her one last time and moved to stand next to her, leaning back against the desk and crossing his arms. "And that's why you stopped things on Saturday?"

"Goodbye," she said, holding her papers close to her and walking to the door. She heard him laughing and she rolled her eyes.

But she couldn't just leave like that, and she was about ten feet from his office door when she threw her head back, sighed, and turned around reluctantly. She walked back into the office to where he was still standing, watching her with a knowing smirk on his face, and she kissed him, because she just couldn't let herself leave without kissing him.

She listened him chuckle as she made her way to the door again, but it actually made her feel really good that she was the one who could make him happy. Because he was making her happy.


	14. Chapter 14

Peyton fastened her butterfly necklace around her neck again after taking her shower, and she smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She only ever took that piece of jewelry off to sleep or to bathe, and she'd never been the kind to commit to any accessory like that. This one was special. It was from her two favourite people. She noticed how her cheeks were a little pinker than they used to be, and her eyes were a little brighter. And that smile. She hadn't smiled that way in years. Probably about eight or so. She decided it looked good on her (Lucas kept telling her so, but she'd brush it off).

She pulled up her hair and made a mental note to make an appointment to get it cut - it had been driving her crazy lately. Grace appeared in the doorway to Peyton's bedroom wearing her pajamas, rubbing her eye sleepily. Her hair had fallen out of her ponytail in big messy chunks, and Peyton actually loved it. Grace always looked so cute and childlike first thing in the morning. Any time Peyton woke up before her daughter, she got to see that. The times when Grace would get up first, she was always wide awake by the time Peyton saw her.

"You're up," Grace noted.

"I am, sleepyhead," Peyton said with a laugh. Grace climbed up onto Peyton's bed and lay down, curled up into a little ball on her side at the end of the bed. "What's with you?"

"Tired."

Peyton just laughed and nodded her head. It had been two weeks since that first date, and Lucas had been coming around more and more. It was nothing 'too much', since he didn't want to force Peyton to tell Grace before she was ready. They'd gone out a few times alone, and he had made the two girls dinner, like he'd said he would. He had them over to his place, and he entertained them and made Grace giggle uncontrollably, and Peyton couldn't stop smiling.

When she'd invited him over the night before, he insisted he had the perfect thing for them to do, and simply told her not to ask any questions. She didn't really understand, but she laughed and told him she'd see him soon. He'd shown up with a bag full of snacks (popcorn, organic, sugar-free juice, and real-fruit candy) and a bunch of movies that were appropriate for Grace, but he knew were Peyton's favourites. Grace was allowed to stay up far past her bedtime, though Peyton knew that the girl would be exhausted in the morning. She was right.

"Come on. I'll make you some breakfast," Peyton said, walking over to Grace and waiting for her to get up. "What's wrong?"

"Where's Lucas?"

Grace looked genuinely confused, and Peyton didn't really understand it. "He's at his house, sweetie."

"How come?" Grace asked. Peyton sat down next to her, and Grace moved so she was sitting up too.

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't boys and girls supposed to sleep together?" the girl asked innocently. Peyton thought she was going to pass out. Her not-even-eight-year-old daughter was not supposed to say things like that.

"Honey, it's not...No. Not really," Peyton said.

But _yes_, really.

Sure, it had been two weeks, but Peyton and Lucas were still taking it slow, and she was really starting to hate it. They hadn't had any sleepovers or anything of the sort, and the time they spent alone together was usually in public. When they were behind closed doors, it was passionate kissing, but nothing more, and it was _killing her_. She had to believe that Lucas was feeling something similar. She was sexually frustrated, and he didn't know that (well, maybe he did, but she hadn't told him), and he assured her that whatever speed she needed things to travel was fine. Honestly, every time they were making out and she wound up on the sofa beneath them, she was about one lust-hazed moment of weakness away from reaching for his belt.

But then she'd think that they weren't teenagers anymore, and she should have been able to control herself. And she could, to a degree. She just didn't necessarily want to. It was confusing. Because as much as she wanted Lucas (and God, did she want him), she was very, very aware of how long it had been since she'd been with someone that way. She was nervous and maybe a little scared. This was Lucas - her and Lucas - and it was never just sex. She knew he was in love with her, and she was definitely in love with him, but they hadn't said the words. They weren't ready for that yet, maybe. They both knew it to be true, but they hadn't expressed that. She was terrified that if they slept together so soon, the _I love yous_ would come next (or during) and then they'd be rushing and there'd be a proposal and a marriage, and she didn't want all that happening. Well, she did, but not so fast.

"But he's your boyfriend," Grace stated, like it was just that obvious.

Peyton laughed. "Who told you that?"

"Nobody," Grace said, shrugging her shoulders. "I can tell."

"Well...what would you think about that?" Peyton asked delicately.

"He _is_ your boyfriend!" Grace said excitedly, suddenly wide awake. "I knew it. I told you!" Peyton pulled Grace into her side, wrapping the girl into her arms and kissing the top of her head. "I knew it."

"So I take it you're okay with that? With Lucas being my boyfriend?" Peyton spoke softly, needing a serious answer, just for confirmation.

"Uh huh. I love him."

Peyton's heart swelled, so she hugged her daughter a little tighter. She didn't doubt that Grace was crazy about Lucas; she hadn't made that a secret. But something about hearing those words in that perfect little voice made it all the more amazing. And there was a voice in Peyton's head that said that maybe if Grace could admit those words out loud, then Peyton could admit them too.

----

"So, Grace knows about us," Peyton said nonchalantly. She and Lucas were sitting on the back porch of her house while Grace ran around in the yard with Jamie, who Lucas was babysitting for the day. "She asked me about it this morning."

Lucas laughed and shook his head. "I wondered why she was looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like...I dunno. Like she knew some big secret and it was killing her not to just talk about it," he explained, making Peyton laugh. She took a sip of her tea and cradled her mug in her hands. "She doesn't seem to mind."

"I think she's more excited about it than I am," Peyton said, smiling over at him.

"And just how excited about it are you?" he asked, his voice low as he rest his hand behind her, brushing the back of her jeans.

She knew what he was doing, and he did it often. He'd told her that he loved to see her blush, to get her all worked up. But she was getting better at being able to brush it off. She'd learned how to take compliments again, so those didn't affect her quite so much. But these statements, so obviously innuendos, still made her heart race.

"About a 5. On a scale of 1 to 10, I mean," she teased.

"Really," he stated, deadpan, looking at her with a raised brow.

"Maybe a 6 on a good day."

"Hmm," he mumbled. "Maybe I'll just have to step up my game, then."

Lord help her.

----

The first game of the season had the entire town buzzing. It seemed that in the years she was away, basketball, no matter how well (or not well) the team played was even more hyped in that small town. Nathan and Lucas had a few good seasons coaching the team and a few bad seasons coaching the team, and Peyton could see that this year, they were both optimistic and really excited for their team to start playing.

Lucas showed up shortly after Peyton and Grace got home from school, and Grace was sitting at the table in the kitchen, doing homework while Peyton started preparing some dinner. The game started at 7:00, so they were going to eat a little early, then meet up with Brooke, Haley and Jamie for ice cream before heading to the school. Peyton didn't expect to see Lucas at all.

"Hi," she said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi Luke!" Grace said happily. Her homework was abandoned and she ran over to hug him. He lived her up into his arms, and Peyton watched on with her hands on her hips.

"Hey crazy girl," he said. "Are you excited?"

"Uh huh. I've never been to a real basketball game."

"What about Slamball?" he asked with a laugh.

"That doesn't count!" she claimed. He couldn't really argue. After all, she'd said she'd never been to a 'real basketball game'.

Lucas set Grace down on her feet and she headed back over to the table while he shook his head. When he looked at Peyton, she was still standing there looking at him like she was waiting for an answer.

"Hi," he said when he realized that he hadn't yet greeted her.

They tended not to kiss or do anything overtly affectionate in front of Grace, and they were both fine with that. They knew she was fine with their relationship, but she was young and really, she didn't need to see any of that side of things. And it had been just a week since she'd 'discovered' they were dating, so they were all easing into the kind of 'almost blended family' type situation they found themselves in.

"Hi. Aren't you like, crazy busy?" she asked seriously.

"Not yet."

"Oh," she said. He wasn't really explaining his reasons for showing up, not that he needed to have a reason.

"I brought you guys something," he said.

"A present?" Peyton asked excitedly. Lucas looked over to see Grace wearing an expression that matched her mother's. Sometimes it was hard to believe that they weren't biologically related, Grace was so much like Peyton.

"Sort of," he said.

"What is it?!" Grace asked.

He reached for a bag that neither girl had seen him bring into the house, and he pulled out two shirts, one for Peyton and one for Grace. Royal blue cotton with the Ravens logo across the front. But Peyton's had a number on the back. Number 22, and his last name above it, and it made her smile at him. He just shrugged his shoulder and shot her a wink.

"Thanks, Luke!"

"Yes, thank you, Luke," Peyton echoed. "This is really sweet."

"I'll see you there?" he said. "I've got to get over to the school again."

"Okay," Peyton said. She looked over at Grace, who was still working away, with that tee shirt sitting on the table next to her books. "Keep working. I'm going to walk Lucas out."

"'Kay. Good luck, Luke," Grace said, smiling at Lucas.

"Thanks, Gracie."

Peyton placed her hand between Lucas' shoulder blades as they headed towards the front door, then she slipped her hand into his as they faced each other. He kissed her gently because he hadn't done it since the day before, and her eyes stayed closed for a moment after. So he kissed her again. Why not, right?

"I wasn't gonna put my last name on the back," he admitted, and she tried not to smile (it didn't work) and she kinked her brow. "I didn't know if I should."

She thought about it for a moment, how she should answer and what she should say. She smiled and pressed her lips to his, and he hummed from low in his throat (he'd told her he loved those little kisses).

"It's perfect," she said softly.

"Is it?" He was smirking, and when she nodded her head, he could tell she wasn't exaggerating. Truthfully, the idea of her wearing his name on her back was pretty perfect to him, too.

"I love your last name," she said, locking eyes with him.

Their relationship had always been set up so one of them had to read between the lines of what the other was saying. It was actually one of the things she loved most about them. So when she said those words, she knew he'd hear that someday it might be her last name too.

"I've gotta go."

"Okay. Good luck, babe," she said quietly, running her hand down his back as he pulled the door open. He stopped in his tracks and turned back to her. "What?"

"You haven't called me that in...years," he noted.

"Oh."

"I like it," he said, smiling at her before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "See you there."

"Bye." She watched him walk back towards his car, and she knew it meant a lot that he'd just stopped in on a game day, no matter how short the visit was. She smiled to herself when she realized that he needed to see her, that maybe she calmed his nerves a little bit.

Grace finished her homework and she and Peyton ate, then changed, and made their way to the ice cream parlour near the beach where they were meeting everyone else. When they showed up, Peyton and Haley both started laughing. They were wearing matching tee shirts, but with different numbers on the back. As soon as they had all ordered and sat down, the kids dug into their insanely constructed (with every possible topping) sundaes. The women sat at the next table, and Peyton and Brooke sipped milk shakes as Haley ate from her dish of cherry cheesecake ice cream.

"It's not fair," Brooke pouted after a few moments of silence.

"What's not?" Haley asked, sharing a look with Peyton. They both knew that whatever their friend was going to say would probably be a little silly.

"I don't get a Ravens tee shirt," she mumbled.

"Oh please," Haley scoffed. "You could buy a million of the things, Brooke."

"It's not the same as someone giving it to you," Brooke insisted. "Not all of us are married to coaches."

"No, we're not," Peyton reminded her pointedly. Only Haley was.

"Give it time," Haley said, smiling sweetly.

"Stop it," Peyton pleaded.

"I need someone for you guys to tease me about," Brooke said contemplatively. Peyton just shook her head. Honestly, she could have done without the teasing. "I miss..._boys_."

"Well, it's not like you're actively out there looking," Haley noted. "I mean, who was the last guy you even dated? Owen? That Byron guy?"

"Ew. No," Brooke said, making a face. "That was like, years ago!"

"Well...Oh!" Haley said, laughing as she realized. "The guy from that place with the weird thing!"

"Um. _Ew_, and there are kids around," Peyton said, mortified.

"No!" Brooke cried laughingly. "No. He had a really random tattoo of a scary dragon."

"Oh, _that_ guy," Peyton laughed.

"He was hot though," Haley said seriously.

"So hot," Brooke agreed.

"I always thought you and Julian had a weird tension," Peyton said, not joking at all, making Brooke's eyes go wide.

"What are you talking about?"

"Who's Julian?" Haley asked. "Your ex Julian?"

"Yeah. They were always...insulting each other," Peyton explained. "It was like a bizarre kind of chemistry."

"I found him to be smarmy and sarcastic and frankly, not good enough for you," Brooke said in her defense. "It wasn't chemistry, it was me trying to make him realize that he wasn't going to end up with you."

"Brooke!" Peyton cried.

"What? It's true," Brooke said, waving off Peyton's outburst. "Know why? Because it's always Lucas and Peyton."

Peyton rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. Brooke and Haley didn't fail to notice that. "So how are we going to find you a boy to play with."

"I don't just want to play," Brooke said. She wasn't defensive, she was sincere, like she was finally admitting something out loud that she'd been feeling for a while. "I want what you guys have." Peyton nodded, and Haley smiled. Finally, they thought. "Oh! Peyton, you can call Jake for me! We know he's not afraid of commitment."

"No, he got married a few years ago," Peyton informed them. "She's a make-up artist or something."

"And you guys know that you don't have to share _every_ guy, right?" Haley asked with a laugh. "I mean, has it become a screening process or something?"

All three of them started laughing, because it was actually pretty funny how those two girls always seemed to go after the same boys. Well, always was a bit of an exaggeration. They were giddy from the sugar and excitement over the first game. Peyton checked the time and announced that they should go, and as soon as they were outside, the kids started running. Peyton and Haley exchanged glances, suddenly rethinking that whole 'large sundae' thing.

The game was a nail biter. The Ravens were down at the half, and Lucas and Nathan didn't look happy about it at all. In fact, Peyton and Haley looked at each other at one point when Lucas threw his clip board angrily onto the bench. The Ravens dominated the second half. They didn't even look like the same team, and Brooke noted that whatever their coaches said in the locker room must have knocked some sense into them. Peyton was immensely proud when one of her students, Caleb, hit the game winning shot, making the crowd go wild.

The five of them waited in the gym afterward for Lucas and Nathan to come out of the locker room. Grace and Jamie were throwing a ball around, with Jamie giving the girl pointers and making her laugh, and both Haley and Peyton scoffed when Brooke said something about a little love connection.

Time seemed to slow down when the Scott brothers walked into the gym through those heavy metal doors. They were wearing their suits, jackets unbuttoned, and smiling at the sight before them; the kids playing and the women waiting for them (two in particular). Brooke, sensing the situation, smiled and wished the guys congratulations, then walked over to play around with the kids.

Peyton surprised Lucas by reaching for his tie and pulling him close, then draping her arms over his shoulders. He was momentarily frozen, then he rest his hands on her hips. And damn, did she look good with his name and number on her back, just as he'd suspected.

"You were so good," she told him.

"It wasn't me," he insisted. She shook her head and kissed him before he went into some spiel about it being a team game or whatever. He vaguely heard Nathan wolf-whistle, then Peyton pulled away and Lucas was looking at her like he was wondering what had gotten into her. "Wow. I have _got_ to keep winning games."

"I thought it wasn't you," she said with a smile.

"I'll take all the credit if it makes you act like this," he said, grinning boyishly.

She felt his thumbs slyly push up the fabric of her tee shirt, ghosting over her bare skin and forcing her to take a deep breath. "You want to come over?"

"It's late," he said without thinking. They'd had a few late nights together, but he'd never gone over after about 8:00. He very quickly clued in to what she was saying. "You want me to..."

"Come over," she finished quietly, looking into his eyes.

He could do nothing but nod.

----

Grace was far too excited to go to bed yet, so Peyton just told her to change into her pajamas when they got home. Lucas had gone to his place to get out of his suit and grab a change of clothes, and when he got to the house, the girls (his girls, as he'd started calling them) were sitting on the sofa, Grace in her little cotton pajama pants and long sleeved shirt, and Peyton in a pair of flannel pants and a plain red tee shirt. They were giggling at something when he unlocked the door (she'd given him a key) and stepped inside.

"Someone's up past her bedtime," Lucas noted, smiling as he walked over and sat down next to her.

"Mommy said it's okay."

"She did, huh?" Lucas asked, winking at Peyton. "That's kind of nice of her."

After she told him how awesome it was to watch his game, Lucas told Grace that maybe she was his good luck charm, and now she'd have to come to every game. Peyton's heart raced. He was so good with Grace that she couldn't believe it sometimes. She watched as Grace moved over to lean against Lucas, and he could tell Peyton was feeling left out. He smiled at her and gestured for her to join them, so she shifted so that she and Grace were sitting with his arm around them both. There was a silly movie on TV that had all three of them laughing, and Lucas gently massaged the back of Peyton's neck with his hand. The way she'd close her eyes and breathe deeply every so often told him that she was enjoying it. Lucas laughed softly during a commercial for insurance, and when Peyton looked over at him questioningly, she noticed that Grace was sleeping soundly against him.

"I should take her upstairs," Peyton said quietly.

"I'll carry her." Peyton was about to protest when Lucas stood and lifted Grace into his arms in one swift motion. Peyton got up and followed him up the stairs, watching the way he cradled her daughter against his shoulder.

The perfect man. He had to be.

He lay Grace down in her bed after Peyton pulled back the sheets, then she covered Grace over and kissed her forehead. Lucas did the same, then they walked to the door and he switched off the light.

"I like this," Lucas admitted once they were in the hall again.

"Me too," she said. It was clear he was surprised that she wasn't arguing him on it, or that she'd even spoken those words out loud. "What?"

"You keep surprising me," he noted. He smiled when she wrapped her arms around his waist right outside the door to her bedroom. (He'd noticed how close they were to her bed. How could he not?)

"That's good, right?"

"Mhmm."

"Why don't you go in there?" she said, gesturing to the bedroom with a nod. "I'll go lock up and I'll be back in a minute."

He shook his head and she looked at him questioningly. "You stay here. I'll go."

It was strange, really, that she was hoping he'd say that. She loved the idea of being taken care of, but she only loved that idea when it was Lucas who was taking care of her and her daughter. She didn't doubt that he would. That was just who he was. He'd always been that person, the one who looked out for her, and his instincts for that had only gotten stronger over the years. She supposed that had a lot to do with the fact that they'd grown up, obviously. She liked having him in her house. She almost craved having him there.

When she got into her bedroom, she almost lit candles or put on music or something, but it all seemed like too much. Too eager or forced or something. She didn't want to feel like it was all planned. It wasn't, really. Sure, how their evening would go was implied in her invitation, but she didn't want either of them to feel pressured. They didn't have to do anything. She'd be happy to just sleep in her bed with him. So she just switched on the light next to the bed, got beneath the covers, and read her book while she waited for Lucas to return. She read because she needed to keep herself occupied. She hated the thought of him walking back into the room and her just waiting there for him.

"Hey," he said, grinning at her as he stepped gingerly into the room.

"Hi." She noticed he was just kind of standing there like he was unsure of what she really wanted, waiting for an invitation. "Close the door."

He did as he was told, then walked closer to the bed, and she looked at him expectantly, as though she was wondering why he wasn't taking off his jeans. He honestly would have liked some sort of manual outlining how he was supposed to act or what they were supposed to do. She invited him over, and now they were alone in her bedroom, and he certainly knew what he wanted. He had no clue what she wanted, not really. But he unbuttoned his jeans and kicked them off, then pulled his tee shirt over his head, and she set her book on the bedside table as he pulled back the sheets and got into bed. She moved over so she was resting against him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

Then she ran her hand just above the top of his boxers, and he tensed. Not only did it feel amazing to have her hand on his skin, but he'd talked himself out of expecting anything. He thought it made him a jerk to just assume that they were going to sleep together, so he convinced himself they weren't going to. Maybe she had other plans. He realized that she did when she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. She pulled away after only a moment, and he almost thought that wasn't fair. He knew she wasn't intentionally teasing him, of course. After all, every single thing, every movement she made, turned him on. All the time. He just always wanted her. Now that he was laying with her in the dark in her bed, it was palpable.

It was the longest 10 seconds of his life before she kissed him again, and he moaned she ran her hand through his hair. Again, it was the simple things that seemed to drive him crazy. He'd just opened his mouth to deepen the kiss when she pulled away again.

"Mixed signals, Peyton," he said.

"Sorry," she said, laughing adorably as she bit her bottom lip.

"Don't apologize, just...Tell me what you want," he insisted delicately, running his hand over the curve of her waist. He was laying on his side facing her, their lips only inches apart.

"I want this. You," she confessed, making him smile. "So bad."

"Me too," he said, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"It's just been...a long time," she said quietly. "I'm nervous."

He smiled and kissed her once, gently. "It's me," he told her. "It's just me." She nodded and took a deep breath, and something about that just didn't sit right with him. "We don't have to do anything, you know. We can just sleep."

His simple words put her at ease more than she could have imagined they would.

"I don't want to sleep," she said, moving closer to him so their hips were aligned. She could feel the effect she had on him, and she knew that if she didn't kiss him, he'd insist that there was no rush.

So she kissed him.

If he was surprised before, he was even more surprised now. But then he kind of forgot about everything else when her tongue met his and he slid his hand beneath her shirt. Her skin was soft and warm and perfect, and he wasn't rushing a thing. He wanted to prolong the entire experience. This was her first time in a long time, and he was going to make damn sure that she enjoyed herself. He didn't doubt his abilities, after all, he knew all the things he could do to make her feel amazing. What he doubted was her ability to let go, let herself relax. He had a feeling he knew how to get her to do that too. There was a spot on her neck, just above her collar bone, that he remembered would always make her breathe out his name. Her body would relax and she'd pull him on top of her.

Their eyes locked as he pulled her shirt up over her head, and then when he kissed that spot and that exact chain of events took place, he had to smirk. It really did amaze him that she'd have the same reaction. He was glad. He loved that he'd mapped her body all those years ago and nothing had changed. He knew how to kiss her and how long to kiss her before he could take the rest of her clothes off her. He knew how to touch her to have her pleading with him to touch her more (and God, did he love that). And so he had her naked and her chest was heaving, her hands running through his hair as she said his name and arched her back. He kissed his way back up her body, and she somehow had the presence of mind to push at his boxers.

"Wait," she said breathlessly as he lay naked on top of her.

"What? What is it?" he asked worriedly.

"I love you," she whispered, locking eyes with him. "I love you."

He closed his eyes as he smiled, then brushed his nose against hers before kissing her gently and resting a little more of his weight on her, no matter how much that tortured him. "I love you too," he told her.

She had no idea what time they actually went to sleep. She didn't really care. She hadn't felt that amazing in years. Not only physically speaking, either, though definitely that too. She felt like her heart was almost too full. She felt like she had just about everything she ever wanted.


	15. Chapter 15

"Oh!" Peyton said in surprise when she rolled over and bumped into a body. He hummed from low in his throat, not at all fazed by being woken up; not by her. He pulled her into his arms and she let herself relax against him. "I forgot you were here."

"That memorable, huh?" he said jokingly.

"That's not what..."

"I know," he laughed. His voice was all sexy and full of sleep, and she found herself taking a deep breath. "You okay?"

She shifted against him, looked up at him and smiled. "Never better."

"How long do you think we have before Grace wakes up?" Lucas asked, running his hand over the space between her shirt and her pants.

"She's already up," Peyton insisted.

"How do you know?" he asked. He was completely in awe that she could even claim to know that. He was skeptical, to say the least.

Peyton stood from the bed and reached for her robe as she laughed softly. "I'm her mother," she said, like that explained it all. She noticed that he was still shirtless, smiling and watching her pull her hair up. "Are you getting up?"

"Maybe."

"And what is this hinging on?" she asked with a laugh, walking over to sit next to him.

"Your bed is just really comfortable," he said, making her laugh even harder. "Better when you're in it, though."

She shook her head and leaned down to kiss him, and his hand came up to rest on the back of her neck, keeping her close. He could really get used to waking up with her; her kissing him in the morning and looking all sexy in her pajamas. Not to mention what they'd done the night before.

"Come on." She stood up and tossed him his tee shirt from where it was strewn over a chair. "You can make me breakfast."

"Oh, _I'm_ making breakfast," he said with a laugh. He stood and pulled his shirt over his head, then reached for his jeans.

"Well, technically you're making me _and_ Grace breakfast." She laughed as she pulled the door open, and he was right behind her, slipping his arm around her waist. She glanced at him with her eyebrow raised and reached for the door knob to Grace's room. "Watch this," she whispered.

"Morning," Grace said nonchalantly upon seeing the door open. She was sitting up in bed with a book in her hands. "Hi Luke."

"Good morning, Grace," he said. Peyton winked at him, and he really had no idea how she knew that Grace would be up. It was just after 8:00 on a Saturday morning. Peyton clearly knew her daughter.

"What's for breakfast?" Grace asked as she climbed out of bed.

"Ask Lucas," Peyton said, trying not to laugh as they all walked back into the hall.

Grace looked up at him expectantly, and he rustled her hair like he knew she hated. "How do you feel about french toast?"

"My favourite!" Grace claimed, racing down the stairs, leaving Lucas and Peyton laughing in her wake.

"You don't really have to make us breakfast," Peyton insisted.

Lucas unabashedly checked her out as they walked down the stairs, then reached for her wrist and pulled her towards him. It didn't take much coercing. "After last night? I'll do whatever you want me to," he murmured before brushing his lips against hers.

"_Luke_."

"True story," he insisted. She blushed, and he kissed her forehead. "It's no problem. I'm happy to take care of you two."

"Keep talking like that, and you'll get a hell of a lot more nights in my bedroom," she murmured, making him choke on...air.

Seriously? _She_ was talking like _that_ and he was supposed to ignore it?

----

The following day, Peyton was taking Grace to see Derek at the base. She hadn't asked Lucas to go with them, and he hadn't expected her to. He knew she'd want her daughter and her brother to have some time without any distractions. Derek had only met the little girl twice; once right after Peyton adopted her, and once when he stopped in L.A. before he was deployed. Now he was back in their home state, and Peyton was going to take advantage of the fact that he had a free day.

And now Lucas had a free day. He talked to Peyton in the morning - they hadn't spent the night together, not wanting to confuse Grace or lead her to believe that Lucas would be there every night - and told her to drive safely and call him when she arrived. She'd smiled and insisted that she would, and when he said _'I love you' _into the phone, she said _'you too'_. He knew she was with Grace, and he'd take that response any day over the ones they'd had before. They were over simple goodbyes or talk to you laters. They were onto I love yous.

He was still smiling over it all (he had a lot to smile over) when he walked into Nathan and Haley's place. He headed straight for the kitchen, where he heard everyone talking. Everyone being Nathan, Haley, Jamie and Brooke.

"Uncle Lucas!" Jamie said excitedly, abandoning his breakfast to run over and hug Lucas.

"Hey buddy," Lucas laughed. "What are you guys up to?"

"We're just talking, and Brooke's here, as usual, mooching Sunday breakfast," Haley explained. Brooke smiled innocently as she cradled her cup of coffee in both hands.

"What are you doing here?" Nathan asked as he grabbed a piece of bacon off his plate.

"What, I can't just stop by anymore?" Lucas asked, smiling at Haley when she handed him a plate of food.

"You don't. You're always with Peyton," Jamie reminded him, making everyone laugh. Lucas would have argued, but it was kind of true. "Where is she? Where's Grace?"

"They're going to see Peyton's brother today," Lucas explained.

"Derek!" Haley cried excitedly, making everyone look at her like she was insane. She turned to Brooke, who started shaking her head rapidly from side to side. The men were just confused. "Come on! He's _cute_."

"Haley, no."

"He's got that sexy, man-in-uniform thing going on. I'd go for it!" Haley insisted.

"_Excuse_ _me_?" Nathan said, raising his brow.

"No. I didn't mean...I mean for Brooke. She wants a new man," Haley said, making Nathan laugh and shake his head.

"And you think going after her best friend's brother is a good idea?" Lucas asked skeptically.

"Better than going after her best friend's boyfriend," Haley shot back, her brow raised and a smirk on her face. Okay, so she had him there, even if she _was_ joking. Brooke and Nathan started laughing, even more so when they noticed Jamie was oblivious to what the adults were saying.

"That was just uncalled for," Lucas indignantly said before taking a bite of his eggs. Brooke leaned over and pressed a goofy, wet, slobbery kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, Brooke."

"No hard feelings," she said with a wink.

"How generous," Nathan mumbled.

"We could talk about _your_ past with Brooke," Lucas threatened.

"Not with Jamie in the room," Haley insisted. "Or...you know...ever."

"So this is what you mean," Brooke said, looking at Haley who merely nodded. "I need to date outside the circle."

"There's no one left in the circle for you to date," Nathan noted.

"Except Peyton or Haley," Lucas said. "But...no."

"Peyton and I did kiss once," Brooke said pensively, making Haley laugh, Nathan smirk, and Lucas scowl. "You are a very lucky man, Lucas Scott." Lucas choked on his toast. "Soft lips."

"What's she talking about?" Jamie asked, his brow knit in curiosity.

"Nothing," Haley answered quickly, shooting Brooke a pointed look. "What should we do today?"

"I don't know. What did we do before Peyton and Grace moved back?" Nathan mused. Everyone was quiet as they tried to remember, but even though it had been barely two months, the Sawyer girls were a huge part of the Tree Hill group; kind of like they belonged there all along. "Why don't we head to that new mini-golf place?"

"Grace will be mad!" Jamie cried, horrified at even the thought.

The adults all laughed and Lucas reached over and rustled the boy's hair. "I'll take care of that. Don't worry."

Nathan let out a soft laugh, but when Lucas glanced over, the look on his brother's face said, _'I'll tell you later',_ so Lucas dropped it. They finished their breakfast and everyone got up and ready. It was close to 11:00 by the time they piled into Nathan's SUV, and Lucas pouted the entire time over having to sit in the very back all by himself. Brooke and Jamie kept making faces and teasing him when Haley and Nathan weren't looking, causing him to 'tattle' on them. Haley could only shake her head. Nathan was thankful they didn't have two boys, knowing that it'd be non-stop fighting in the back seat if that was the case.

Once they were on the course, with the girls playing poorly and Nathan and Lucas waiting it out after they'd already sunk their shots, Lucas turned to his brother again.

"So what was that about earlier?"

"Oh, nothing," Nathan insisted, brushing off the comment. Lucas didn't buy it. "Just...Peyton seems to be kind of eager to let you be her baby daddy."

Lucas started laughing. "Dude. You cannot pull off saying baby daddy." Nathan smiled and shrugged his shoulder. "And Grace isn't a baby, and I'm not trying to be her father."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not!"

"You are. You so are," Nathan said seriously. "You love that little girl."

"So do you!" Lucas shot back.

"The difference is I'm not the one having sleepovers and cooking breakfast for her mommy," Nathan replied, smirking knowingly. Lucas rolled his eyes. "It's not a bad thing, man. I'm just saying."

"What are you just saying, Nathan?"

"Kids are tough," Nathan said needlessly. "I mean, I know Grace loves you and everything, but...You can't break her heart."

"I'm not going to break her heart. I'm not going to break anyone's heart," Lucas said. If he was being honest, just the thought of it was making his stomach churn. "I love her. I love both of them."

Nathan smiled softly and looked to the ground. He knew that, of course; they all did. Hearing the words was a totally different thing. "Does Peyton know that?"

"She does," Lucas said quietly.

Nathan bumped his shoulder against his brother's, and that was that. There was no need for them to talk about it anymore, and Lucas actually loved that Nathan looked out for Peyton and Grace like he did. It put him at ease. After all, he did the same thing for Haley and Jamie. Always had. Lucas finally knew how Nathan felt all those years, having someone else watching over his wife and son. Of course, Peyton wasn't his wife yet, and Grace wasn't his daughter.

But maybe he was trying to be her father.

They both looked to where Haley, Brooke and Jamie were (slowly and laughingly) making their way towards the hole. The men took matching deep breaths.

"We're going to be here forever," Nathan said, making them both burst into laughter.

----

Peyton and Derek walked along a path on the base as groups of marines ran and worked out in formations around them. Grace was walking a little ahead of them. While they were eating lunch Derek had told her that there was a lot to look at, and he didn't disappoint. She'd never been on base before, so she was exploring a little bit.

"She's huge," Derek noted.

Peyton laughed and looked at him incredulously. Grace was obviously the smallest person in the area, and she looked even tinier around so many huge men. "She's not even four feet tall."

"Last time I saw her, she was...what...a little older than five?" he asked. "That feels like ages ago."

"That's what happens when you go off to fight a war, big brother," she said, linking her arm through his. "I think I hold my breath every time you get called over." He nodded his head and looked to the ground. "I'm so proud of you though. You know that, right?"

"I'm proud of you," Derek insisted. She shook her head, but he was having none of it. "You're doing an amazing thing for that girl."

"Anyone would," she said seriously. He'd said things like this before, and every time, he had to convince her it was true.

"No. Not anyone would." She pursed her lips and nodded, because she knew he'd keep talking until she believed him. And maybe because he was right. "I think moving home was the smartest thing you've done in years. Look at her."

Peyton laughed when she looked at Grace, giggling and saluting a few Marines as they walked past. They smiled and saluted back to her, then one of them knelt down and talked to her, and she pointed towards her mom and Derek.

"She's a pretty happy little girl," Peyton agreed. She watched as Grace shook all three of the mens' hands. "She's a charmer."

"You're gonna have trouble some day," Derek said with a laugh as they got closer and closer to Grace. Peyton was quiet for a moment, and Derek saw it as an in. "So you and Lucas, huh?" She didn't know what to say. She just smiled. "Second smartest thing you've done in years."

"Losing him was the stupidest," she admitted.

"I told you that at the time."

"Yeah, the tough love kind of made me hate you," she said, elbowing him lightly. "But you were right."

"You've been in love with that guy since..."

"I know," she interrupted. "It feels good to be in love _with_ him, you know?" Derek laughed at her explanation. "It's true. We're together, and...it's...everything I want. Him and Grace."

"And friends, and your dad, and your job," he listed off dramatically.

"And my brother," she added, smiling up at him.

"Uncle Derek!" Grace shouted, making Peyton and Derek both laugh.

"What is it, little girl?" he asked, hoisting her up into his arms.

"Can I hold a gun?" she asked innocently.

"No!" Peyton answered. Her eyes were wide and she was mortified. "No you cannot hold a gun."

"They aren't loaded," Derek argued.

"Yeah, they aren't loaded," Grace echoed. Derek smirked. "Please mom."

Peyton looked at them, both of them wearing matching pouts and big, wide eyes. "Aren't there like, tanks you can play with or something?"

"Oh sure," Derek said, heading off towards one of the buildings nearby. "Tanks, helicopters, there are a few planes around."

Peyton smiled and shook her head as Derek lifted Grace up onto his shoulders and started walking ahead, and then Peyton's phone beeped, signifying that she had a text message. She opened it to see a message from Lucas that read simply, _"Hope you're having fun. Call me before you leave."_

As if she hadn't intended on exactly that.

----

She may have loved having her friends and her job, but when those two things got in the way of her spending time alone with Lucas, she got a little edgy. No one was really to blame. Peyton had volunteered to watch Jamie one night when Haley had parent teacher conferences and the guys had already made plans to watch a game together. Brooke had needed Peyton's help with some tee shirt designs and slogans, and Peyton was happy to lend a hand. And then she had her own parent teacher conferences, not to mention the preparation that went into all that.

By Thursday, she and Lucas had barely seen one another, and forget about actually having any time alone to talk. Or anything.

She had left school right after classes ended, which was rare, but she didn't feel bad about since her work was done. Grace was out with Brooke for the evening, and Lucas had practice, but she'd told him to come over after. By her calculation, they'd have a couple hours before Brooke dropped Grace off. A couple hours she was pretty sure she needed.

She was eating dinner for one on the sofa and watching bad afternoon TV when the phone rang. Her heart raced when she saw the number for Lucas' office displayed on the screen.

"I cannot stop thinking about you," she said in a soft voice as soon as she answered.

"Uh. Cool," came Nathan's voice.

"Oh my God!" she said, absolutely mortified.

"You aren't the first person to admit that, you know?"

"Shut up. Why are you calling me from Lucas' office? Why are you calling me at all? Is everything okay?" she asked hurriedly.

"Jeez, everything's fine," he assured her. "Are you always this on edge, or has it just been a few days since you and Lucas were alone?"

"You're disgusting."

"And he and I _share_ this office," he insisted.

"It's got his name on the door," she reminded him, smiling as she did so. Not only was she ridiculously proud of Lucas, but she also liked to mess with Nathan a little bit. "So why are you calling, exactly?"

"I really hate to do this to you, but is there any chance that you could pick Jamie up at my mom's house?" he asked. She could tell that he was calling her as a last resort. She took a deep breath, but they both knew she wouldn't say no. "I can't get ahold of Brooke, and I have to go to out to Wilmington to meet Haley at her sister's place. I know it's last minute."

"No, it's okay," Peyton insisted. She was already reaching for her keys. "How long to you need me to watch him?"

"Mom's just got a dinner thing," Nathan explained needlessly. "I'll come get him around...8:00 or 9:00."

Peyton bit her lip to keep from groaning. "No problem. I'll see you then."

"Thank you so much," he said sincerely. "And Peyton?"

"Yeah?" she asked as she stepped outside, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she locked the door.

"Sorry to ruin your booty call."

He was laughing riotously and hung up before she could argue with him or tell him off.

----

Lucas walked into Peyton's house with a bottle of wine in his hands, a smile on his face, and a very, very good feeling that he was going to have a few amazing hours alone with his girlfriend.

And then he heard Jamie's laughter coming from the kitchen.

He seriously wondered if their friends were trying to torture him.

When he walked into the kitchen to see Jamie and Peyton at the table drawing, he said his hellos and Peyton mouthed an apology, which made him shake his head. Nathan had left him a note saying he couldn't make practice (which Lucas hadn't gotten until after practice, but anyway...). He just hadn't considered that Jamie wouldn't be with his parents. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew that Nathan and Haley wouldn't leave Jamie with anyone unless they had to or the boy requested it. Given Nathan's sudden departure, Lucas assumed it was the former.

Peyton pulled Lucas into the living room to kiss him quickly, which caught him off-guard and made him laugh, and she explained the situation. He took a deep breath and shook his head, but he wouldn't let her apologize again. It wasn't her fault, obviously, and he loved that she'd step in when she was needed and take care of Jamie. Their group was close-knit, and those reminders that they'd do anything for each other were kind of nice.

They spent their evening with Jamie, the house full of laughter and jokes, and then when Brooke came over to drop Grace off, she immediately started laughing when she saw that Jamie was there.

"What's so funny?" Jamie asked obliviously.

"Nothing, Jamie," Brooke managed. The kid was too smart for his own good and didn't buy it. "Just...Lucas' shirt is...bad."

There was nothing wrong with Lucas' shirt. Not at all. He was offended that Brooke couldn't come up with a better excuse.

"Anyway," Peyton interjected. "You guys had fun?"

"We ate pizza and Brooke's making me a dress," Grace explained.

"A dress for what?" Lucas asked.

"Just to have," Brooke said, shrugging her shoulders. "Girls just like to have pretty things, Lucas." He just laughed and nodded his head. "And you know, now I have her measurements. I mean, just in case any special occasions come up."

Peyton shook her head when Brooke flashed a grin, and Lucas chuckled softly. The three adults all knew she was talking about a wedding. Brooke certainly thought that it meant something that the two blondes before her were both smiling and seemingly unfazed by her declaration. She was inwardly downright giddy at the prospect of a wedding. Especially that particular wedding.

Nathan picked Jamie up about 20 minutes after Brooke left, smirking and laughing the whole time. Of course, he hadn't intended on taking up their entire evening, but now that he'd accomplished it, he found it hilarious. Peyton glared at him and Lucas just shook his head. It really wasn't a big deal. He definitely loved that Peyton thought it was.

Peyton took Grace up to bed while Lucas tidied up downstairs, and then when she returned she was in her pajamas, but she looked completely exhausted. Cute, but exhausted.

"Some night," she mumbled as Lucas wrapped her in his arms. "If Nathan thinks he doesn't owe me, he's got another thing coming."

"I'm sure he doesn't."

"I just wanted to spend time with you. Alone," she said, pulling away slightly and looking up at him. "You're kind of an easy guy to miss, you know that?"

He chuckled softly and pressed his lips to hers. "I was thinking the same thing about you."

They spent a few minutes standing there in her living room kissing, then he pulled away and checked the time. "I should go," he said regrettably.

Peyton was having none of it.

"Stay over," she all but begged.

He couldn't say no. He was starting to think it was impossible. They opened that bottle of wine he'd brought, then cuddled up together and talked like they really hadn't been able to do all week. She noticed the way his attention was stolen when the strap of her camisole would slip off her shoulder. He reached over and slid it back into place, and she could have sworn her skin heated up at least twenty degrees. It was barely 10:00, and she hated that she was craving him so much, but it was as though that first taste of him the weekend before just reminded her of all she'd missed out on in the years they were apart. She liked that they could just sit on the sofa and enjoy one another's company, but, well, she wanted to _enjoy his company_.

She took the glass from his hand and set it on the coffee table next to her own, then seductively slid her hand up his thigh as she leaned towards him. "Let's go to bed."

He grinned and she could tell he was holding something back. She asked him what was wrong. "You went without for four years, now you can't go four days."

"Shut up!" she cried, swatting his arm. Her face went red, which he promptly laughed at, then he placed gentle kisses to her cheeks before pressing his lips to hers.

"I'm sorry."

"You better be," she warned him as she stood from her place.

He met her at the bottom of the stairs after he locked the front door and she turned out the lights in the kitchen, and he rest his hands on her hips and spoke into her ear. "I've barely lasted this long," he admitted, pulling her closer to him as he spoke.

"I love you," she said quietly.

He was really, really starting to love her saying that first. He had no problem saying it back. Never would.


	16. Chapter 16

"Let's do something," Lucas said abruptly one afternoon.

It was a Saturday, one of the last nice days of the fall before it got too cold to spend time outside. Peyton and Grace were moving around the kitchen, Grace occasionally dancing along with the songs on the radio. Peyton was putting groceries away, and Lucas had just replaced a few light bulbs that were burnt out. Peyton insisted that she'd do it, going so far as refusing to let him do anything. When he'd dropped a couple packages of light bulbs into her shopping cart, she rolled her eyes at him. She knew it had been driving him crazy, so she'd let him do what he wanted. And yeah, she really did think he was kind of sexy playing Mr. Fix-it.

"Like what?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah? What?" Grace echoed.

Lucas thought it was adorable how Grace was always doing that, repeating peoples' questions. "I don't know. We could go for a walk on the beach, or we could drive somewhere."

Peyton smiled and nodded. He knew she'd pretty much do anything as long as it involved those two people. He also knew that They'd be doing whatever it was that Grace wanted.

"Duke," the girl said.

Peyton and Lucas shared a look, then both looked to Grace in confusion. "What are you talking about, sweetie?" Peyton asked.

"Nathan says Duke is really pretty. I want to see it," Grace explained. Lucas scowled a little. He'd always been a UNC guy. "Can we?"

"I don't see why not," Peyton said, shrugging her shoulder. She was still a little surprised that Grace wanted to go see that school, but she couldn't argue. It was beautiful, especially in the fall.

"Duke?" Lucas asked. Grace nodded, and Peyton only smiled because she knew where this was going. "Nathan's filling your head with all sorts of crazy ideas."

"What do you mean?" Grace asked, furrowing her little brow. Lucas walked over to the table and they both sat down.

"There's another school near there that was always my favourite. Nathan always liked Duke better," Lucas said. He smiled when he saw Peyton shaking her head from where she stood.

"What school?" Grace asked.

"The University of North Carolina."

"Oh," Grace said. She looked over at Peyton, then back to Lucas. "Can we go there too?"

Lucas laughed and stood from his place, then kissed the top of Grace's head. "Sure we can."

They got ready for a nice fall excursion. Grace pulled on a new little wool jacket that Peyton had been thrilled to get for her, and Peyton dug out a familiar leather jacket. They both wore scarves, and Peyton tucked a couple pairs of mittens into her bag. Lucas made fun of her for that, but they both knew she just always liked to be prepared for anything that might come up. It was for the same reason that she also packed a few bottles of water, some granola bars, and a couple apples. By the time they got out the door, Peyton had switched bags twice before dropping all those 'extras' into a canvas tote to leave in the car. Grace and Lucas just sat on the sofa, sighing dramatically and checking their watches (though Grace didn't even wear one). Peyton told them to be patient, and that they'd thank her when they got thirsty later.

Lucas drove, insisting that they take his car, and Peyton actually loved that idea. Grace was certainly excited about it. She sat in the middle of the back seat so that both Lucas and Peyton could turn easily enough and include her in the conversation. After a short, ridiculous, and hilarious argument on which school they should go to first, they decided that Duke would be the first stop. Lucas could tell Grace was more excited for it, and that was why he'd caved so easily. He just said they'd save the best for last, and Peyton laughed to herself. She couldn't say she hated the relationship Lucas and Grace shared.

"It's so _pretty_," Grace said in awe as they pulled into a visitor's parking lot on the main campus. "Isn't it, mommy?"

"It's beautiful." Peyton had been there before, of course, but she thought it was sweet, how excited her daughter was. As soon as they stepped out of the car, Grace asked if she could walk ahead a little bit, and she was told it was fine as long as she stayed within sight. "Thanks for bringing us here," Peyton said, slipping her arm through Lucas'.

"Of course." He laughed when Grace kicked at a little cluster of fallen leaves, sending them flying up in the air. "You know, it's really too bad she's such an awful kid."

"I know, right?" Peyton said, laughing as he leaned over and kissed her hair. "I'm kind of fond of her."

"Yeah," he said softly. "I always told you I knew you'd be an amazing mom. It still surprises me sometimes, though."

"How come?" she asked, looking up at him. She wasn't offended, she was just curious.

"Well, I mean, the circumstances here...I know she's your daughter, so don't take this the wrong way, but...you treat her like she's your own," he explained delicately.

She chewed the inside of her lip as she debated telling him a secret. "If I say something, will you promise not to be creeped out?"

"Um...depends what it is," he said with a raised brow. She kissed his cheek when he smirked and she saw that dimple.

"When I first adopted her...I mean, you know how that was for me," she said. She knew Brooke had explained it, and Lucas had asked for more details, which Peyton had been happy to give. She felt he deserved to know everything. She _wanted_ him to know everything. "I used to...to pretend sometimes that she was mine."

"That's not creepy."

"No. I used to pretend she was yours. Ours," she said softly. "It's crazy, and so, so weird to admit that, but..."

"Really?" he asked, stopping in his tracks. Grace was about twenty feet ahead, collecting all the red leaves she could in her little hands. "You did that?"

Peyton took a deep breath. "It was the only way I knew to...to give me strength to do it."

"You could have done it on your own," he insisted, shaking his head.

"I didn't know that. I just thought of those things you used to say, you know?" she said as they resumed walking. "How you'd say I'd be the fun mom, structuring the rules so the kids didn't know they were following rules."

"You totally do that," Lucas laughed. "It works though."

He noticed she said 'kids'. The idea of them having a child together still had an incredible effect on him. He knew they would, but he definitely loved that she knew it too.

"And you said once that any kid of ours would be really creative and probably free-spirited. So I made sure she got every opportunity to...well, to walk around picking up leaves," she said, glancing over to where Grace was doing that very thing.

Lucas chuckled and shook his head. His heart was racing more and more with every word she said. He never would have guessed that she'd had those thoughts and raised her daughter based on conversations the two of them had when they were too young to really know what it meant to be a parent. Apparently they hadn't been too far off.

"I love you so much," he said, spoke it like the fact that it was.

"I can't believe there was ever a time when I didn't want to admit to loving you."

He had to laugh again. They'd put all that behind them. He kissed her quickly, and she looked at him in confusion when he pulled away from her. She could only shake her head when he took off running towards Grace, lifted her up and spun her around. Grace was laughing and shouting his name, which did nothing to make him put her down. She called for her mom, and Peyton walked over to where the two loves of her life were drawing stares from the people on campus.

"Mommy, I want to make a collage," Grace insisted, though she was still being held over Lucas' shoulder, his arm hooked over the back of her knees and holding her in place.

"A collage?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah. With leaves."

"Leaves are kind of hard to work with, honey," Peyton explained. Grace's hair swung down over her head as they walked, and the mother in Peyton couldn't handle how precariously her daughter was hanging. She knew Lucas would never let anything happen to her, but that didn't mean she wanted to risk it. "I'm sorry, Luke. Do you mind...?"

"Oh! Sorry," he said. Grace laughed as he set her back down on her feet again, and she stopped walking to let the blood drain from her face. "You okay?"

"That was fun. Mom just worries," she said seriously. "Why?"

"Why what, Gracie?" Peyton asked.

"Leaves. How come it's hard?"

"Because they dry out and change colours. But if you want to do it, you should do it," Peyton said. She leaned down to kiss Grace's head, and the girl tucked all the leaves she'd collected into Peyton's bag. "Oh. Thank you for that."

Lucas laughed as Grace giggled and tucked one hand into his, and the other into Peyton's. "How about I buy you girls a hot chocolate?"

"Okay!" Grace cried.

Lucas would do pretty much anything to keep those two happy. He was learning that it didn't take much. That certainly didn't mean that he was going to stop trying as hard as he had been. Seeing those smiles and having those hands in his, sharing looks with the love of his life while the little girl he absolutely adored was oblivious, well, he wouldn't trade that for the world.

Peyton and Grace moved over to a one of the big concrete sets of steps and talked about this art project that Grace insisted she needed to do. Peyton loved Grace's attention to detail and her enthusiasm. Grace had a set plan already of what she wanted to do, and Peyton seriously wondered how the girl got so smart. It really seemed like only yesterday that she was still afraid to talk to people. She'd grown up so much in what was really a short amount of time since Peyton had adopted her. Peyton realized that she had a lot to do with that. She was the one helping Grace reach her potential. She smiled just thinking about it.

Lucas returned with three paper cups of hot chocolate, and when he thought Peyton wasn't looking, he handed Grace a chocolate brownie that he'd bought for her.

"Hey!" Peyton cried. Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide.

"What?" Lucas asked innocently. He wasn't sure if she was mad that he'd bought such a decadent treat, or that he hadn't gotten one for her too.

"It's good," Grace said, smiling deviously at Peyton as she took another bite.

"Share with me," Peyton all but pleaded.

"No! Lucas bought it for me," Grace insisted. She couldn't keep herself from smiling, and Peyton knew that the girl would never be so selfish; she'd been taught better than that, and she was just too sweet to.

"Yes, but I have the ability to ground you," Peyton said, raising her eyebrow threateningly. Grace let out a huff, though she was grinning ear to ear, and broke off half the brownie and handed it to her mother. "Thank you, sweetie."

"You're welcome," Grace said politely.

Peyton noticed Lucas shaking his head, so she extended her hand, letting him take a bite out of her half of the brownie. He mumbled a thank you with his mouth full of chocolate, which sent Grace into a fit of giggles that had Peyton laughing at both of them.

This was kind of turning out to be a perfect day.

"Can we go in there?" Grace asked, pointing to the elaborate tower that they could see from where they sat.

"If you want to," Peyton said. "That's a church."

"Are we allowed?" Grace looked at Lucas, as though he had all the answers to every question she'd ever ask. He smiled at Peyton. She'd told him that she loved that Grace saw him that way.

"I'm sure we are as long as there's not something going on today," he explained. "Sometimes they have weddings and things here."

Grace's face lit up and she looked to Peyton quickly. "You guys could get married here!"

Lucas tried not to laugh or smile too widely. He was also eagerly awaiting Peyton's reaction to her daughter's innocent-enough statement.

"I don't think Lucas would get married here, sweetie."

He swore his breath stopped. He knew that they were both aware that was the direction they were heading in, but he was absolutely shocked that she wasn't terrified of it. She wasn't telling Grace that they weren't getting married, or that it'd be a long time before it happened. He was really starting to get the impression that she didn't want to wait a long time. He knew it was too soon for any of that, but he was pretty thrilled that, when the time came, there'd be no doubt as to what her answer would be if he got down on one knee.

"Where would you get married?" Grace asked, as though Duke was the only place she could fathom that whole thing taking place.

He didn't know how to answer, so he simply spoke the truth. "I'd marry your mom pretty much anywhere."

Peyton tilted her head to the side a little as she smiled and looked at him. From the corner of her eye, she vaguely saw Grace smiling widely and looking at her eagerly. Lucas just winked, which sent her heart beating at far too rapid a pace. She honestly thought that if he asked her then and there, she'd be pulling him towards that chapel and calling for a marriage license in a rush. But there was no rush. Sure, she felt it was inevitable, but she also felt that they had a little time and work to put in. She couldn't use Grace as a reason anymore, since it was obvious the girl was all for the union. And she wasn't protecting her own heart; she'd opened it to Lucas completely. It was more the details. Where would they live and would it be a problem at work. (She assumed not, since Nathan and Haley were married and both worked for the school.) And they'd only been dating a little over a month. It wasn't like they needed to know each other any better; she thought that might be impossible, actually. She was just comfortable, and she liked it that way. Until her heart and her gut instinct told her it was time for whatever was to come next, she'd keep things as they were.

They walked towards the chapel, with Peyton explaining to Grace that she had to be quiet and courteous to the people who might be inside, and when they stepped through the doors, it was clear that the girl was overwhelmed. It was beautiful, of course. Stained glass windows and that big, high ceiling and rows upon rows of pews. Lucas lifted her into his arms when he noticed she was in awe. Peyton quietly pointed things out to Grace and shared smiles and looks with Lucas.

When they finally made it to UNC, Grace immediately insisted that the leaves there were better, and Lucas had smiled smugly and said, _'of course they are.' _The leaves Grace gathered from there were all bright orange, and by the end of the day, Peyton's bag was overflowing. There were a few pine cones and some acorns as well, and Lucas just shook his head at the both of them. They stopped for dinner at a little restaurant Lucas knew of, and then Grace fell asleep in the car on the way back to Tree Hill.

"Today was a good day," Peyton said, reaching over to rest her hand on Lucas' shoulder as he drove.

"It was a great day." He smiled and looked over at her, and she leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"Will you stay over tonight?" She kind of felt bad that he was spending all his time at her place. Of course, it was understandable, since all of Grace's things were there, and he certainly wasn't complaining. "You don't have to."

"It's not like it's a chore," he said, chuckling softly. "I love your place."

"I just feel bad because we never go to your place."

"Well, you know you're always welcome. You don't need an invitation, Peyton," he insisted. "It just makes more sense with Grace if we stay at your place."

"Well...what about...I mean, say we do get married," she said softly, avoiding eye contact.

"Heart condition, Peyton," he said after letting out a breath. "Careful with saying things like that."

"Don't joke about that," she warned him, slipping her hand into his. He knew that condition was always a source of worry for her. "I just wonder where we'd live."

"_Will_ live," he amended. She rolled her eyes playfully. "Wherever you want. My place, your place, a new place. Doesn't matter."

She smiled, and he lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. He kind of couldn't believe they were having this conversation. She really did keep surprising him in really great ways. He loved that she wasn't scared. He knew that he had a lot to do with that, because he'd been patient and he was still being patient. He told her he'd do whatever she needed him to do, and he hadn't lied.

"A new place," she almost whispered. "That might be nice."

"You know I'll give you two whatever you want. Whatever I can."

She couldn't blame her rapidly beating heart on any kind of medical condition.

----

Lucas was standing in the front office at the school the following Tuesday, listening to the idle chatter of the three receptionists as he sifted through the mail he'd come by to pick up. His heart fell into his stomach when the phone rang and he heard the question that came.

"Do you know which class Miss. Sawyer is in?" one receptionist, Susan, asked the other urgently.

"What is it?" Lucas asked worriedly.

"Her daughter's principal is on the phone."

"What's going on?" he inquired.

"I can't say. I really should page Peyton," Susan explained.

"I'm her boyfriend," Lucas said, trying not to get angry. He understood that she was just doing her job. He also knew that, until now anyway, not many people knew about their relationship.

Susan seemed to deliberate, but she could read the fear on his face. "Her daughter took a fall. She's on her way to the hospital."

Lucas' face paled; he could feel it. "I'll find her. Don't say anything to her, just...find someone to cover her classes for the rest of the day."

He was out the door and hurrying down the hall, and he had no idea how he was going to tell her, only that he knew she'd rather hear it from him than anyone else. He was terrified out of his mind, so he stalled outside her classroom to try to calm himself down. She didn't need him going in there all frantic. She'd need him to be the calm one and hold her hand through everything. He didn't knock at the door, he just walked in, and she looked at him in surprise. She told her students to work quietly.

"What's going on?" she asked, seemingly able to read the look in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"It's...Grace fell at school, and they're taking her to the hospital," he said as calmly as he could. Tears immediately clouded Peyton's eyes, and he took her hands in his. "I don't know anything more."

She set her jaw, though they both knew she didn't have to appear stoic in front of him. "What? Lucas..."

"Come on," he said soothingly. He pulled her into his arms in hopes of comforting her. "I'll drive us over there."

He didn't know what else to say, and she was too scared to say anything else, so he just grabbed her things from her classroom as she tried to dial the elementary school on her cell to get more information. He held her hand all the way to the car as she did her best not to cry. She did pretty well until they pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. She buried her face in her hands, and Lucas reached over and placed one hand on her thigh and the other on her back. He simply told her that it'd be okay - something told him it would be - and that he was there for her, whatever she needed.

She had regained her composure as they made their way to the administration desk, and they were told which room Grace was in and which doctor was attending. Lucas knew it was a good sign that the nurse at the desk didn't seem to have any urgent air about her. If the injury was serious, then she would have acted differently.

Grace lay sleeping in a hospital bed with a heart monitor attached to her finger, and a blood pressure cuff around her little arm. She was still in plain clothes, another good sign, and there was a young nurse marking something on a chart.

"What happened?" Peyton asked, moving over to stand next to Grace. She ran her hand gently over the girl's hair.

"The teacher who came in with her said they were playing indoor soccer. She fell and hit the back of her head on the floor," the nurse explained. "She's got a concussion, but there's no serious trauma. Not even a cut."

"So what...?" Peyton started.

"We were just keeping her here until you arrived. She needs a lot of rest, and she may be nauseous for a while."

"But she's okay? She can go home?" Lucas asked. He knew from his years of dealing with athletes and athletic trainers that a mild concussion wasn't a huge deal. It certainly seemed like one now.

The nurse nodded and smiled, and Peyton seemed to sigh her relief. "You'll want to watch her for the next week or so. I'll let the doctor explain treatment."

"Treatment?" Peyton asked worriedly.

"Just routine care. Which medications are alright, and whether you should ice the bump she has or not."

"Thank you," Lucas said. The nurse smiled and left the room, and Peyton fell into Lucas' arms again. "It's okay. She's going to be fine."

"She's got a bump on her head," Peyton said, trying not to cry. For some reason, the idea of her daughter with a single mark on her body was enough to make her crazy.

"But she's okay," he reminded her, pulling away gently so he could look at her in hopes of convincing her. The doctor arrived, and Lucas let Peyton go. "I'll stay with her," he promised.

She kissed him gently, and he was a little surprised, but he didn't question it. The doctor, a grey-haired man easily in his early 60s, smiled at Lucas as he let Peyton step into the hall. Lucas took a seat next to the bed, grasping Grace's little hand in his because he felt that was what he was supposed to do. It was strange, really. He wondered if any other circle of friends had spent as much time in the hospital as this one. The only one out of the lot of them who hadn't been admitted at one point or another was Brooke. But they had all done far too much waiting around within the walls of this place, and he really couldn't wait to get Grace home.

She stirred awake just as Peyton stepped back into the room. The girl blinked a few times, then looked around to try to figure out what was going on. The doctor had just told Peyton that Grace might not remember falling right away, and she might be groggy until the next day when she was well rested. All that didn't stop Peyton from having to keep her tears at bay.

"What happened?" Grace asked, her words a little slurred. Peyton could barely keep it together. She was trying, Lucas could tell, but it was hard.

"You fell down, sweetie," he explained delicately. "You bumped your head, but you're okay."

"I don't feel good."

"I know, Gracie," Lucas said, running his hand down her arm to take her little hand in his. "What hurts?"

"My head and my tummy," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't like it."

"I know. But you'll feel better soon."

"Mommy?"

"I'm right here," Peyton said, moving to sit on the bed next to her daughter. Lucas ran his hand up and down her back to soothe her, knowing that this was all even worse for her.

"I want to go home," Grace insisted. Lucas almost laughed. Not that he could really blame her but he thought it was a little funny that she was just as stubborn as always, even with a concussion.

"Soon, honey. I just have to sign some papers, then we can go," Peyton said. She leaned down to kiss Grace's forehead. "Lucas is going to stay here with you until I get back, okay?"

"Okay," Grace whispered.

When Peyton stepped into the hall, she tipped her head back and took a deep breath. She convinced herself again that everything would be okay, because she knew it would be, but she figured that seeing your child in a hospital bed would always have that particular effect. She felt helpless and absolutely terrified, and all she wanted was for this to never have happened.

She didn't expect to see Nathan walking towards her. "Lucas texted me," he explained. Peyton didn't even know when Lucas had gotten a chance to do that. She hadn't noticed. "Is she okay?"

"She's okay. She's got a concussion."

"Shit," he muttered. "How are you?"

"Honestly?" she asked, and he nodded his head. "Worse than her."

"There's really no feeling like this, is there? Worrying about your child."

"No," she whispered, shaking her head slowly. "There isn't."

"It's awful. That feeling so intense that you think you might throw up any second. And you don't care who sees you crying because no one matters as much as that little person," he said sincerely.

"Thanks for coming to cheer me up," Peyton laughed. It amazed her that he had her laughing.

"I'm just saying I know that feeling," Nathan explained.

"It just sucks when you realize that you can't save them from everything," she admitted, meeting his eyes as he nodded his understanding.

The two of them shared a moment that years and years of friendship allowed for. Neither spoke a word, but their eyes were locked. They were bonded as friends and parents alike, mutually aware that neither would trade either of those things for the world.

"Well," he said, breaking the silence. "Could be worse. You could have invited a psycho nanny into your home."

"Not funny," she said, despite the grin his joke had put on her face.

"It was a little funny," he insisted. He reached out and pulled her into a hug that made her feel a lot better. "You need me to do anything?"

"Tell Brooke and Haley not to freak out and come over," she said, making him laugh. "Seriously. The doctor says Grace has to sleep, but I have to wake her up every couple hours, so..."

"I understand. And I mean...you've got Lucas."

"Yeah," she said. She couldn't help but smile. "I've got Lucas."

----

Peyton woke up the next morning completely exhausted. The alarm had gone off at three hour intervals all night long, as per doctor's orders. Grace's nausea and headache had subsided sometime just after midnight, but Peyton or Lucas would go in and wake her up ever few hours anyway, because that was what they were supposed to do.

Peyton stood at the kitchen counter with the phone in her hand as Lucas set Grace up on the sofa for a day of cartoons and movies. When he walked into the kitchen to the worried look on Peyton's face, he wondered what was wrong now.

"My senior class as a midterm today," she said, her eyes meeting his. "I can't...I mean, I can miss it, but Principal Turner...I guess I could get a sitter or something..."

"Turner will understand, Peyton," Lucas insisted. She shook her head like she didn't believe him. "But why don't I stay here? You can go to school, and I'll take care of her."

"Lucas..."

"I was going to anyway," he told her.

"What about work? The team?" she asked, implying with her tone that he was crazy to want to stay.

"I'll take a personal day."

"Lucas..."

"Don't argue me on this," he insisted seriously. She was almost taken aback. "That girl is...she's practically my daughter, okay? And there's no way in hell I'm going to work and leaving her with someone else."

She stared at him for a moment, as if she were trying to decide whether to be happy or upset that he thought of Grace as his daughter. It wasn't much of a toss up. She was pretty thrilled. "You think of her as your daughter?" she inquired delicately.

He smiled at her and nodded his head. "You're...we're almost a family. The three of us."

"I love you," she said quietly, leaning into him a little bit. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair.

"I love you too. Now go to work."

"Are you sure?" she asked needlessly.

"Positive. Go get ready," he commanded. She raised her brow, clearly not a fan of being bossed around, but he could tell she was only joking.

"I have to call Brooke. She's probably going crazy."

Lucas merely nodded and handed the phone back to her, then kissed her forehead before walking back into the living room. Peyton wasn't necessarily surprised that Lucas was willing to stay. After all, she knew how much Lucas loved Grace. She was, however, still a little shocked that he thought of Grace as his own daughter. She knew that his admission probably had nothing to do with her own; that she had been raising Grace based on things he'd said. There was a part of her that was wondering if he was even more serious than she was about this relationship. And that would be saying a lot.

Lucas sat on the other end of the sofa with Grace's feet resting against his thigh. They were watching some ridiculous show with dancing flowers or something, clearly not his choice, and Grace was no longer groggy or disoriented at all. She had no dizziness or headache, and it seemed she was well on her way to being back to normal. Of course, she'd be out of school for a week or so, and she wouldn't be able to play or run around or do anything too active. Lucas was kind of enjoying just sitting on the sofa with her, though.

"Is it true that you never had a dad either?" she asked bluntly, making him turn to her and look at her with his eyes narrowed questioningly.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked in surprise.

"Jamie," she said with a shrug. "Is it true?"

"Sort of. I never had a dad, but I had a Keith," he said with a smile, fondly remembering the man as he did every time he said the name.

"Who's Keith?" she asked, eager to hear the story.

"He was my uncle. He did all the things a dad would have done," he explained. Peyton had heard the conversation from the kitchen, knowing that it was probably a difficult position for Lucas to be in.

"Kind of like you do for me?" she asked, her tone innocent and childlike.

"Oh...I...what?" he asked with a chuckle.

"You do dad stuff," she said, shrugging again. "Like play basketball and hold my hand when I cross the street and buy me things mom says I can't have."

Peyton's hand flew to her mouth to keep from laughing at what her daughter thought were 'dad-like' things to do.

"Grace," Lucas laughed. "There's a lot more to being a dad than that."

"But that's what Nathan does!" she argued. Peyton heard Lucas chuckle again and she took that moment to thought about interrupting the conversation, but Grace spoke again before she could. "I think you're a good dad." Her eyes met his when she realized what she'd said. "You would be, I mean."

Lucas was speechless, and Peyton thought she was going to cry. "Thank you, Gracie," Lucas said. He honestly didn't know how else to respond.

It wasn't until that night that Peyton even let on that she'd heard him. They were laying in bed together, with her trying (and succeeding, though he hid it) to distract him from the book he was reading. He finally abandoned the novel for good when she told him that she thought he was a good dad, too.


	17. Chapter 17

Lucas stayed with Grace all but one day while she recovered. On Friday, game day, he'd had to run his practice and coach the game, so Brooke stayed with Grace during the day, and she'd also insisted that Peyton go to the game. Grace pouted about not being able to go, but Brooke convinced her they'd have fun together. And they did. So much fun that Brooke called Peyton (upon Grace's insistence) and told her to have Lucas take her after the game. They ended up at Tric, joking that it was only about their fifth date or something. They hadn't spent much time one on one. One drink turned into two, well, for Peyton; Lucas nursed his one beer, since he was driving them home. Home meaning to her place. He had hardly stepped foot in his own house in almost a week.

The first day Grace was back in school was the first night Lucas stayed at his own place. He didn't sleep a wink. He couldn't get comfortable in his bed, and he was cold (that may have been psychological), and he missed Peyton's hand over his stomach before she drifted off. He hated it. Absolutely hated it. The way he saw it, they'd spent far too many nights sleeping apart, and he just didn't want to do it anymore. Peyton wholeheartedly concurred.

----

One Sunday morning, Grace was settled on the sofa watching cartoons and eating cereal, and Peyton headed upstairs to get dressed. She and Lucas were in the middle of a conversation about his mom, sister, and Andy's impending visit, so he followed her to her bedroom.

She stepped into the bathroom and they spoke through the closed door. Lucas thought it was hilarious that she'd close the door when she was just changing, or that she'd even go into the bathroom at all. Apparently this time she'd finally taken his teasing to heart. She stepped out of the bathroom wearing a pair of burgundy lacy Brazilian cut underwear and a matching bra. He deduced that she'd always gone into the bathroom for his benefit, not her own; he didn't need the distraction.

"I don't have anything to wear," she complained. She stood in front of her closet, her hands planted on her hips. When she turned around to face Lucas, it was clear he wasn't paying attention to anything but her body. "Hey. Up here."

"You can't stand there...like that," he said, looking her up and down, "and expect me not to look at you this way."

"I have an idea." She walked over to where he was sitting at the edge of her bed and he immediately reached out and ran his hands up and down her thighs. She raked her fingers through his hair, and he had no freaking clue what her idea was, but he hoped it didn't require them leaving the room.

"Baby, please tell me this idea means I get to..." His words stopped when she pushed him back onto the bed and straddled his waist. "Okay. I am loving this idea."

"Luke, Grace is downstairs. I'm not seducing you."

"The hell you aren't," he mumbled. He groaned from low in his throat when she tortuously rolled her hips against his. "Peyton."

"Pay attention," she teased, unable to hide her smile.

"Get dressed," was his rebuttal.

"We should go shopping," she said.

"Or we could...not go shopping," he said with a laugh. Her jaw dropped and she shook her head.

"Come on!" she said enticingly, leaning down and letting a little more weight fall on him. So maybe she was seducing him. "It'll be fun. We can be alone."

He knew very well what she was doing. He also couldn't say that spending the whole day alone with her was a horrible prospect. "How do you figure?"

"Well, by my count, Nathan still owes me."

"Call him right now," Lucas said gruffly. He pushed her away just a little bit (she was really just teasing him now). She laughed a little when he moved to stand up, forcing her to do the same. When his eyes raked over her body again, he shook his head. "I'll call him. You put some damn clothes on."

He heard her laughter as he walked out the door and down the stairs again. He dialed Nathan's number, and it was decided that Jamie and Nathan would come over and keep Grace company while Peyton and Lucas went out for the day. Peyton walked down the stairs to see all four of those people in her living room, a stack of DVDs on the table, and a bag of snacks on the floor next to Jamie. Peyton knew that not only was Grace in good hands, but that she'd probably also have a blast with the Scott boys for the day.

They were about halfway through their first movie when Grace turned to Nathan and asked him a question he had no idea how to answer.

"Nathan, you think I could call Lucas my dad?"

"What?" he asked, though he'd heard the question loud and clear. "I don't...I don't know. Maybe...maybe you should talk to him and your mom."

There. Diplomacy.

"I want to. I love him," she insisted. Jamie smiled at her and she reached for another handful of popcorn.

"He loves you too, Gracie," Nathan said quietly.

So maybe he'd given Lucas a bit of a talking to about wanting to be Grace's dad. He'd never really considered that Grace would want that just as badly.

----

The problem with shopping with Peyton and being asked for his opinion, was that he thought she looked amazing in everything she tried on. She'd step out of fitting rooms in skirts or pants, and he'd just smile like she was the most gorgeous thing in the world. He actually bought a few things for himself in one store while she tried things on, because she'd told him he wasn't helping her, and she'd go broke if she bought everything he said she looked good in.

"I found something," he said, walking over to where she was standing in front of a mirror in a pair of grey dress pants and a black silk top. He was holding a black dress, simple, but beautiful. "Try this."

"You're awfully demanding, aren't you?" she teased, taking the hanger from him. He smirked and shrugged his shoulder, and she leaned over to kiss him quickly for no reason at all.

He waited for her to step out and show him the dress, but she never did. She bought it though. He knew she had to look sexy as hell in it. He also knew that their next proper date, he'd be privy to seeing her in that dress.

Their next stop was a cosmetics store, and he was a little surprise to see that she spent a little more time in there than she did at the other stores. She didn't buy anything crazy, like electric blue eyeshadow or anything, but once they were outside he couldn't let the subject slide.

"You just spent almost $100 on makeup."

"Hey. It costs a lot to look this good," she said jokingly.

He scoffed. "You're forgetting that I've seen you with no makeup on, in one of my tee shirts and a pair of sweatpants, eating cookie dough straight from the tube."

"Shut up!" she cried, shoving his arm. He laughed and took her hand in his.

"I just think you always look gorgeous, so it's hard to believe you spend so much money on stuff you probably don't need," he elaborated.

"Thank you. I think," she said. He chuckled and kissed her temple as they walked into a shoe store.

Oh good. Peyton and a bunch of heels. He was really starting to wish that Grace had gone to Nathan and Haley's. That way, when he got Peyton home, they could have some time to themselves. Peyton said the same thing when Lucas tried on a pair of jeans she insisted he buy, and he didn't feel so bad about willing Grace away from the house.

He was more than a little surprised when they spent almost 20 minutes making out in his car before leaving the mall. He didn't dare say a word. He figured they both knew they wouldn't be doing that until later in the evening, so they were just taking advantage of the semi-privacy of the parking garage.

As much as he loved Grace - and he loved her a lot - he really loved these moments alone with Peyton. Not for anything other than just conversations and the every day things they used to do when they were younger. Sure, he loved those moments alone with her when they'd make love or fall asleep wrapped up together, but this was different. And it was different than it used to be, too. They'd grown up, and they talked about different things. They had different dreams and they were more secure in their relationship. The only thing that hadn't changed was that they loved each other.

"Oh my God," she said quietly, staring out the window as they drove into Tree Hill.

"What?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"That house."

She pointed to a brand new home nestled along the river. It was big, but not too big, and it was light grey with dark blue trim and shutters. There was a wraparound porch and a huge yard, and she could see a pool in the back. There was also a for sale sign in the yard. Lucas pulled the car over, and Peyton looked over at him like he was crazy. When he stepped out, he waited for her to join him, then he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they made their way up the long walkway to the house. Stepping onto the porch, he could feel the happiness radiating off her. She peered through the windows of the front door, then moved over to the big bay windows into an empty room she assumed was a living room.

"Luke, this place..."

"It's amazing," he noted. "Beautiful."

"It's waterfront. And it's...this neighbourhood is amazing," she added. "Nathan and Haley live right over there through that park."

There was something about all this that Lucas was a little unsure about. She was making it sound like she wanted to live in this house, and it wasn't just a pipe dream. He got the feeling that she was ready to put in an offer.

"Peyton, what are you saying?" he asked delicately, moving to stand in front of her. "Because I...It kind of seems like you're ready to move into this place."

She smiled at him and wrapped her arms loosely around his waist. "Can't you see us living here?" she asked quietly. "The three of us? Maybe...four of us someday?"

He grinned and raised his brow, but his palms were sweating a little bit. "Or five, or six, or seven."

"We might need a bigger house," she laughed. "It's crazy, because I just moved here like, not even four months ago or whatever, but...I dunno. Maybe I'm ready...maybe _we're_ ready to start this life, you know?"

He let out his breath and pulled her a little closer. Maybe it wasn't exactly what she was talking about, but the words were coming out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

"I want to marry you _so bad_, Peyton."

She felt tingles all the way down her spine to the tips of her toes. She would have liked to say that he was crazy for jumping to that scenario, but he really wasn't. "Maybe we could do that too," she almost whispered.

His lips were on hers before either could say another word, and it didn't matter that they didn't own the house they were standing in front of, or that it had only been a few months since they started dating. He'd been right all along; they were going to end up together. Why wait?

"Are you serious, Peyton? Because if I ask you..."

"I don't want you to ask me," she said seriously, her eyes locked with his. "I want us to be engaged. So...we are."

He let out a breathy laugh and kissed her again. "This is the weirdest proposal ever."

"Because everything else we've done has been so normal?" He laughed and shook his head. "We have to talk to Grace."

"Of course," he said, nodding his head. There was something else on his mind that he wanted to talk to her about, and he didn't really know how she was going to respond. He could assume it was okay to ask, since they were apparently engaged. "I want...I mean if it's okay with you two, I want to adopt Grace."

Her eyes went wide. "What?"

"You can say no, or we can..."

"Lucas, I'm...I don't know what to say," she admitted.

"I won't be offended if you don't want me to, but I..." he started, before she interrupted him.

"No. I mean, _yes_. Of course," she said, her eyes shining with a few tears. "We should probably wait until we're married, but..."

"That sounds so amazing," he said quietly, shaking his head. He pulled away from her and reached for his phone, and the grin didn't leave his face.

"What are you doing?" Peyton asked, her brow knit.

"Calling the realtor."

They put in an offer the next day.

----

Peyton walked through the front door after work, and she was completely exhausted. Even the knowledge that her boyfriend (they hadn't told anyone of their 'engagement' just yet) and daughter were waiting for her did nothing to make her feel better. Lucas hadn't held a practice, so he picked Grace up from school and insisted that Peyton not rush home; maybe grab a drink with Brooke and Haley or something. She didn't. She stayed at work late and marked dreadful midterms, feeling like she was doing something completely wrong, since the majority of the junior class had barely passed the test.

She dropped her things at the door and stepped out of her shoes, and she heard hushed tones coming from the kitchen. She had no idea what they were up to, but she let herself smile for the first time in hours. She walked through the house to the kitchen, and Grace was sitting atop the counter with her back to her mother. Lucas was standing next to the girl, tending to something on the stove, and he didn't see Peyton either. She noticed the table set beautifully, complete with candles and fresh flowers, and a bottle of wine sitting there waiting to be opened.

"Hi," Lucas said, pulling her attention back to him.

"Hi," Peyton replied, still a little awestruck. "What's this?"

"We cooked," Grace said happily. Peyton noticed the girl was wearing a little apron that she knew Lucas must have bought that day. He had a towel draped over his shoulder and was wearing just a white tee shirt and jeans. They both looked too adorable for words.

Okay, and maybe Lucas looked insanely sexy, too.

"You cooked," Peyton said, her eyes softening. They'd just saved her day. "What did you cook?"

Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but Grace beat him to it. "Roast beef, gravy, potatoes, and vegetables. Oh, and bread. And wine, but I can't have that."

"No, you can't," Peyton said with a laugh. She walked over and kissed her daughter's forehead. She turned to Lucas and kissed him on the lips. It was just a chaste kiss, but they hadn't really done that in front of Grace before. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he answered. "Why don't you go change? This'll be a few more minutes."

"I have to stir the gravy," Grace announced, making both Lucas and Peyton laugh.

"Okay. You stir the gravy," Peyton said. "I'll be back soon."

Lucas watched Peyton walk out of the kitchen, just a little bit disappointed that she'd be taking off that skirt he loved so much. He certainly loved her coming home to him. He loved spending time with Grace, and he kind of liked being so close to the phone, since they were still waiting for a call about the house they really, really wanted to buy. And who was he kidding? He also really loved sleeping next to her, even if that meant he kind of forgot what the inside of his own bedroom looked like.

"Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?" he said absently, pulling the roast out of the oven.

"If you and mom get married, that makes you my dad, right?" she asked, her head tilted to the side like it always was when she was confused or thinking really hard, trying to figure something out.

"Um...yeah. I suppose it would. Technically, I'd be your step-dad, though," he explained delicately.

"Oh."

Lucas sensed there was something wrong. "What? Is that...What?"

"I don't want you to be my step-dad. I want you to be my _real_ dad," she insisted seriously. She put her little hand on her hip for good measure.

Lucas smiled and moved over so that his hands were planted on either side of her on the counter and their faces met. "You do, huh?" She nodded once, emphatically. "Well, that sounds pretty good to me."

"Really?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah," he said softly. "I love you, Gracie."

She smiled a big, broad smile. "I love you too, Luke."

"Well, well. What did I miss?" Peyton asked, stepping back into the room. She only caught the tail end of that conversation.

"Luke's gonna be my daddy," Grace announced. "I asked him and he said he would."

Lucas winced a little bit and looked at Peyton, a little worried about her response. "He did, did he?" Peyton raised her brow and Grace nodded again. "Come sit down with me, sweetie. I want to talk to you for a second."

"But the gravy!"

Lucas laughed and lifted Grace up to set her down on her feet. "I'll take care of the gravy," he promised. "You go talk with your mom."

Peyton and Grace took their seats at the table, and Lucas sent Peyton an encouraging smile. "Okay, Grace," Peyton started. She figured the best way to do this was to just come out with it. No sense prolonging the conversation she was pretty sure wasn't going to be a problem. "You know how you've been wanting Lucas and I to get married pretty much since we moved here?"

Lucas snickered by the stove. "Yeah," Grace said simply, like it was a fact that she'd wanted them to be together since day one.

"Well...we're going to do that," Peyton said. Grace's eyes went wide and she looked between her mom and Lucas.

"Really!? You are!?" Peyton nodded, and Lucas smiled over at the girl. He wasn't sure who was most excited of the three of them. "When? Soon?"

"Well, no. Probably not soon," Peyton admitted. She noticed the two dejected faces looking back at her. "But Lucas and I were thinking that maybe we would all live together."

"Okay!" Grace cried happily.

"And we might move to a new house."

"Okay!!" she said, even more excitement in her voice.

"Alright, any questions at all? Problems? Concerns?" Peyton teased, shaking her head. She had expected this to go well, but not _this_ well. Grace just shook her head and shot up out of her seat so she could throw her arms around her mother's shoulders.

"How come you don't have a ring on?" Grace asked. "Brooke says that boys are supposed to get big diamonds to make girls marry them."

"I bet she did," Peyton laughed. "Occasionally it takes love, trust, happiness...things like that, too. Not just diamonds."

"Oh," Grace said. She looked over at Lucas and he merely waited for her to say whatever it was he could tell she was thinking. "But you're going to get her a ring anyway, right?"

"I was planning on it," Lucas insisted. Peyton looked surprised for some reason. He didn't really know why. If they were engaged, she'd for damn sure be wearing his ring.

They all sat down to dinner, and Grace bombarded her mom and Lucas with questions. She wanted to know everything. She wanted to know where they were getting married (they didn't know), who was invited (didn't know that either), when it was going to be (nope, no clue), what colour her own dress would be (Peyton was going to leave that one until she could get Brooke's opinion). Grace laughed and declared that the couple didn't know _anything_, which made Lucas shake his head, and Peyton smile. The details weren't important to them. They just wanted to be married, and while Peyton said it might not be happening _too_ soon, it was happening. That was good enough for both of them at that point.

After dinner, they called Peyton's dad and Lucas' mom with the news. Larry had just chuckled softly into the phone when Peyton said she and Lucas were engaged. He said, "of course you are," when she asked what was so funny. She supposed that meant they had his blessing. He said he was thrilled for her, then talked to Lucas and passed along his congratulations, though he hadn't seen the 'boy' in a while. He spoke with his granddaughter the longest. She talked his ear off about how excited she was and how she _knew_ that Lucas and Peyton were going to get married, and that she told them they had to before they'd even decided upon it. Peyton blushed, and Lucas pulled her against him and kissed her temple.

Karen was happy to the point of tears. She told Peyton some story about Lucas talking about her when he was about 12, telling his mother that Peyton Sawyer was the prettiest girl in the whole school. Then it was Lucas' turn to blush. Karen told them that she'd known it all along, and she was happy they were finally letting themselves be happy together. Neither Peyton nor Lucas could argue that. Karen explained that she, Andy and Lily couldn't wait to meet Grace, and that their trip was scheduled for two weeks' time. When Lucas explained that he and Peyton were house shopping, Karen said she'd take back ownership on the old house he grew up in, though Andy still owned his huge estate outside of town, and she quietly said that maybe she, Andy and Lily would start spending more time in Tree Hill. "Especially if you give me grandkids," she said. Lucas laughed softly and said that she kind of already had one. She started crying even harder, thrilled at the thought of it.

When they finally got Grace calmed down enough to actually go to bed, Peyton and Lucas went back downstairs to finish off the bottle of wine they'd opened with dinner.

"So, I _think_ Grace is alright with us getting married," Peyton said as they sat down on the sofa.

"Yeah, I won't have to ply her with gifts to get her to like me," Lucas said with a laugh. Peyton tucked her leg beneath her and turned to him a little, but she was looking down instead of at him.

"Thank you, Luke," she said quietly after a moment.

"For what?"

"For...everything. For being so patient with me, and so good with her," she elaborated. "I know I kind of put you through a lot at the beginning, and..."

"You don't have to explain, and you don't have to thank me," he insisted. "I told you I wasn't going anywhere. And I'm not."

"Ever?" she asked coyly.

He smiled and shook his head. "Ever." She leaned forward to kiss him, and he took her left hand in his. "So...I do have a ring," he admitted softly.

"What?" she breathed out.

"It's..._the_ ring," he said. "I wasn't going to say anything, because it's the one that Lindsey wore, but..."

"It's Keith's ring," she said, smiling over at him.

"Yeah," he whispered. "We'll get you something new."

"No," she said, almost harshly. "No. I don't want something new. I would love to wear that ring. I want to."

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. "Because..."

"Lucas. Yes. I'm sure."

He smiled and shook his head at her, amazed at how insistent she was. He kissed her gently, then set his glass of wine on the coffee table and stood up. She looked at him in confusion as he walked over to where his jacket was hanging in the hallway. He reached into the pocket and pulled out a very familiar black box, and Peyton felt the tears welling in her eyes. That was proof enough that he wanted her to wear that ring just as badly as she wanted to wear it. He'd intended to give it to her, but wanted to make sure the history behind it didn't bother her. She found that to be incredibly sweet.

He surprised her even more by kneeling next to the sofa, and she laughed through her tears. "Luke, you don't..."

"Shh," he said, making them both chuckle. "Peyton Sawyer, will you marry me." She didn't say anything. She could have joked about his need to have a formal proposal, or teased him for getting down on one knee, but it didn't feel right. She just nodded her head and he took the ring out of the box. It was a perfect fit on her finger. It had never looked better. "This was always your ring, Peyton."

She didn't know what to say after that, the statement she was positive was true. She just kissed him.

----

Peyton was in the middle of a lecture on the structure of Monet's brushstrokes when Lucas burst into her class one day. All the students had already known they were together, and once they noticed the diamond on Peyton's hand, they'd playfully teased her about snagging the hot coach. What could she say? They were right. But Lucas had never just walked into her class without knocking, save for that day weeks ago when they learned Grace had been hurt.

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly. She noticed the smile on his face and narrowed her eyes at him. "Luke."

"Can I talk to you a sec?" he asked. The students, he noticed, were all smiling, and Peyton turned to them and held up her index finger, then followed Lucas into the hall.

"What are you doing? I'm in the middle of a lesson," she said, crossing her arms. She didn't love the interruption.

"I just got a call," he said cryptically. She shrugged her shoulders, as if to ask why she should care. "We got the house."

"What?!" she cried happily. "We...What?!"

"It's ours, Peyton. They accepted our offer."

She smiled widely, which filled his heart (God, he loved to see her happy), and she threw her arms around him so tightly that he actually lifted her up off the ground a little bit. "Really?" she asked needlessly.

"We're meeting with them this afternoon to finalize everything," he said, setting her down and looking into her eyes.

"We got the house," she whispered. He just nodded his head, and she kissed him, very well aware that she was standing right in front of the window of the door to her classroom. She didn't care. They were teenagers. They'd definitely witnessed worse. "I have to finish this class, but...meet you in your office after school?"

"Sure," he said. He winked at her when she turned to walk into her classroom, and he laughed when he heard the whistles and gentle teasing she received from her students.

She couldn't focus on anything for the rest of the afternoon. She ended up telling her students what was going on, and they were all genuinely happy for her. It also made them laugh when Mrs. James Scott walked into the room and parked herself on the edge of Peyton's desk, just waiting to hear the details.

Their friends all knew about the engagement, of course. They'd had an impromptu little gathering where Peyton flashed the ring and Grace blurted out the news and all the girls ended up crying. Of course, everyone was happy for Lucas, Peyton and Grace.

They were going to be the family they always deserved to be.

**----**

**A/N: **Next chapter will be the epilogue.


	18. Epilogue

It was well into the evening by the time all their moving boxes were in their designated rooms, ready to be unpacked in the new house. It wouldn't have taken quite as long, but the movers were late, and then there were only two of them, not four like there was supposed to be. Nathan and Skills had come to help, but it still seemed to take forever to unload the truck. Grace had, surprisingly, chosen the bedroom at the end of the hall. It was the only one with a view of the little wooded area not far from the house. Peyton had assumed the girl would want a river view. She should have known Grace would do something different. Peyton had already set up their beds so they'd have someplace to sleep, and she'd just finished stocking the fridge with food when Grace got cranky and needed fresh air and to run around a little bit, and so Lucas was left to move things around while Peyton and Grace 'explored' the yard and their little piece of shoreline in front of the river.

Lucas stepped outside, pulling his sweatshirt over his arms as he walked down the steps of the back porch of the house. He watched as Peyton and Grace lay in the grass, though it was clearly too cool to really be doing it, and he felt a very unfamiliar feeling in his heart. Contentment. Not just happiness or comfort; he'd felt that for ages. But this was different. This was him feeling like he had everything. He had a fiancée and an almost-daughter (he'd say almost, because they hadn't gotten the adoption papers yet). He had it all. A beautiful house and beautiful girls, and despite the ache that their move had put in his limbs, he'd never felt better.

He flicked on the back porch lights and the girls looked at him as he approached, bright smiles on both of their faces. He collapsed onto the grass, mostly unintentionally. He really was exhausted. "What are you two looking at?" he asked, looking skyward.

"Stars," Grace said simply. She tucked herself into his side and he kissed her hair, then sent a wink to Peyton when he saw her looking. "It's pretty out here."

"It is," Lucas agreed. He was still looking at Peyton. He was sure that if the light was brighter, he would have been able to see her blush.

"You're sweaty," Grace noted, giggling.

"I did all the work!" he cried laughingly. "You and your mom were out here dancing around."

"We weren't dancing," Peyton scoffed. "We were...playing."

"Sure," Lucas mumbled. Peyton glared at him, but she was still smiling. It was kind of hard to be anything but happy at that particular moment.

"This is my favourite house," Grace said, sighing as she spoke. "I love it."

"I'm glad," Peyton said quietly. She rest her hand over Lucas' as it sat on Grace's shoulder, then she moved right over so that Grace was between the two of them. "We should go inside."

"I don't want to yet," Grace insisted.

"Well, it's getting late and we have lots to do tomorrow," Peyton explained. "We can't make Lucas do all the work again."

"Why not?" Grace said, laughing when Lucas tickled her side lightly. "'Kay, fine. I'll go to bed."

Lucas laughed as Grace sighed dramatically and stood up, looking down on them. "Sorry we're so hard on you," he mused.

Grace scowled at him, but it was all in jest, and Peyton sat up in her place. "Go get your jammies on and we'll come tuck you in in a minute."

Grace took off towards the house, and as soon as she was inside, Peyton leaned over and kissed Lucas. He didn't complain at all when she pressed herself against him a little bit more, her leg falling between his knees and her hand on his face. He hadn't known, when she sent Grace inside, that she'd be kissing him like that, laying in their backyard at 10:00 at night. But he liked it.

"Come on," she said when they parted. He was flat on his back, one hand on his stomach and the other on her arm. He didn't look like he wanted to move. "Are you planning on sleeping out here?"

"I don't think I can get up," he admitted. She laughed, but the way he looked at her told her he wasn't exactly joking. "So tired."

"I'm sorry I kind of bailed on you," she said seriously. "I didn't..."

"Stop it. It's fine," he said. He winced when he sat up. He'd thought he was stronger than that. Apparently not. Moving was never an easy task, but this move felt like climbing Everest.

"Yeah, clearly you're fine," she said with a laugh. She stood, then extended her hands to help him up. His body crashed into hers clumsily, and she shook her head at him, but she looked legitimately concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he repeated. "But...please let me sleep in tomorrow morning."

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "You can sleep in as long as you want. We'll be quiet." He smiled and kissed her gently, then they started walking back towards the house. "And I found an unopened bottle of scotch," she explained. "Why don't I pour you a glass, and maybe I'll massage your shoulders while you watch ESPN or whatever it is that you do before bed?"

He stopped walking and pulled her in for a kiss. She was perfect. "Thank you," he said softly. "That sounds...perfect."

She didn't let him down. The scotch she'd found was a bottle worth about $80 that someone had given her in L.A. She was never a scotch drinker. Lucas sure enjoyed it. He also couldn't say anything bad about the way her hands moved over his skin and she told him that she was happier than she'd ever been.

----

Peyton wasn't surprised when, between Brooke, Karen and Grace, the wedding plans got a little out of hand. Brooke had, thankfully, listened to Peyton's wishes regarding the dress, so that was under control. That was just about the only thing that was, however. The wedding went from being a small affair, likely in the beautiful backyard of Lucas and Peyton's house, to a church, then (when the girls decided the church was too small) the yard at Andy's estate. The guest list had climbed to 100 people (Peyton didn't even _know_ 100 people), and she was being asked to choose between prime rib, salmon, or some kind of chicken thing.

She just wanted to be married. She didn't care about all those details. That said, she should have known better than to leave all that stuff in someone else's hands.

Grace had come down with a cold, even though it was March and the weather was warming up, so she was spending one Saturday in her room, sleeping and watching television, with Peyton taking her food and tissues and cough medicine when she needed it. Peyton was sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of tea in front of her, looking over statements and colour schemes and price estimates for things like china settings and flowers and centerpieces. She wanted to cry. She really did.

Lucas stepped into the house after a light workout with Nathan at the River Court, and when he found Peyton, she had her head in her hands and she looked completely frustrated. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh!" she said, raising her head. "I didn't hear you come in."

"What's going on?" He sifted through some of the papers as he pressed a kiss to her hair. "Wedding stuff?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "It's...this is crazy, Lucas."

"What do you mean?" He sat down next to her, and the price on one of the pieces of paper caught his eye, a ridiculous sum for a cake.

"I mean this is...It's turning into the freaking event of the year!"

Lucas laughed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Honey, it is the event of the year. How long have people been waiting for this?"

"Don't joke with me," she said, though she was smiling, and her hand had taken his. "Don't get me wrong, I love that your mom and Andy have offered to pay for so much and do so much for us, but...This just feels like it's not even about us anymore." He didn't say anything. She knew that meant he had something to say. "What?"

"Well, it's not just about us, Peyton," he said delicately. She looked perplexed. "It's for our families, too. And our friends, and...It's not just about a couple rings and a marriage license."

She sighed and nodded. He was right. As usual. "Don't you wish we'd just...I dunno, eloped to Vegas or something?"

"You really think your best friend would have let you get away with not having a real wedding?" he asked with a raised brow.

Again. Right.

"I just don't know how to tell them that I don't need...a gazebo and a $300 flower arrangement."

"Just tell them." Lucas shrugged his shoulder like it wasn't a big deal. She looked at him like he was crazy. "You're the one who left all the details up to them. You need to tell them what you want. What _we_ want."

"Actually, Vegas is looking pretty good," she mumbled. He laughed and leaned forward to kiss her gently before standing from his place. "Hey," she called before he could leave the room. He turned to look at her. "What do you think of these colours?"

He had to laugh. She'd said all along that she wasn't interested in the details, but every so often she'd ask for his opinion on something that was clearly a detail. He looked over at the photo she was holding up of a floral centerpiece.

"White and green?" he asked needlessly.

"Well, it's ivory and kind of a kelly green," she said, looking once more at the green and white roses in the photo.

"I love it," he insisted. He should have known that to her artist's eye, it wasn't just white and green. "Classy. Simple. It'll look great at Andy's place, too."

She smiled at him across the room. "There. One detail under control."

And then a couple weeks later, she got the rest of the details under control. And she got Karen and Brooke under control too, though that took a little bit of Haley's help, tired as she was, having just learned she was pregnant. Karen apologized; said she was just excited for this to finally happen. Brooke didn't apologize, not even a little bit. She loved weddings, and she wanted this to be a perfect one. Peyton assured her that it would be, and that Brooke was still the master negotiator and designer. That was enough for the brunette.

When Peyton got home that day after spending hours with the girls going over wedding plans, she heard Grace call Lucas 'dad' for the first time. She cried.

Lucas heard her pass the living room and head straight for her studio (a space right next to his own office), and he left Grace with her homework so he could go check on his fiancée. It wasn't like her to not say hello.

He saw her wiping her eyes as soon as he walked into the room. "Peyton."

"Sorry," she said, laughing at herself. She waved her hand in hopes of dismissing his concern. She had to know that wouldn't work. "She called you dad."

"She calls me that all the time," he admitted, a little smile on his lips.

"She does?" Peyton asked in surprise.

"Yeah. But only when it's the two of us, for some reason," he said, shrugging his shoulder. "I didn't think you'd cry about it."

"Sorry," she repeated. "I just didn't know she did that."

"I think she's still feeling it out," he explained. He walked over to her and pulled her against him. "What's with you?"

She knew he meant. She wasn't normally quite so sentimental. Yes, Grace calling him by that particular moniker was kind of a big deal, but they'd known she'd start doing it eventually. She and Lucas had the adoption papers all filled out and signed and ready to be filed after they got married, and everything was coming together. She was excited, and she was happy, and they were getting closer and closer to the end of the school year and, subsequently, the wedding. No one could really fault her for taking a moment to be a little emotional about it all.

"I guess I'm just hormonal or something," she said as he ran his hand up and down her back.

But he pulled away immediately and looked at her with his brow raised. "What?"

"Not those hormones," she laughed. "Jeez, one kid calls you daddy and you get baby fever." He shook his head, but they were both laughing at the situation. It was no secret that they wanted a child (or two, or three) together. "One thing at a time, Lucas."

"Please," he scoffed. "You could get pregnant tomorrow and I'd be the happiest guy alive."

"You're not already the happiest guy alive?" she asked, looking at him pointedly. She was totally joking, and he rolled his eyes.

Of course he was.

----

They were married on a Saturday afternoon on what was literally the most beautiful day of the year. They weather was perfect; sunshine and puffy white clouds and a perfect breeze. The bridesmaids (Brooke, Haley and Grace) wore grey dresses with kelly green satin detail, and the groomsmen (Nathan, Skills and Jamie) wore black suits with grey ties. Peyton wore a custom designed, hand-stitched ivory dress made of silk. It fit her perfectly, and most importantly for her, she was comfortable. She carried those unique green roses with a single lily in the middle, an homage to Keith and, somewhat inadvertently, Lucas' sister.

There were more guests (approximately 85) than Peyton would have ever had, but she found herself liking that they had so many witnesses. Her dad was there, though she didn't want him to walk her down the aisle. Her brother was there in his dress blues. Karen, Andy and Lily sat in the front row with mega-watt smiles on through the entire ceremony. Whitey was there and grumbling about having to wear a suit in August.

But it was perfect. It really was. Peyton started crying as she listened to Lucas' vows, and she was probably the only one who noticed, but there was a tear in his eye as she said hers. They'd decided to write their own, of course, and she had been worried that he, the writer, would outshine her. Then she'd called upon her favourite music for inspiration, and she'd ended up with something pretty amazing, if she did say so herself. Judging by Lucas' reaction, he appreciated the sentiment.

She was sipping champagne as she stood with Nathan and they both watched Lucas talking to Haley. She couldn't hide her smile, and she gathered that she wasn't supposed to. It was her wedding day. People kept telling her she was glowing. She liked the compliment. Nathan draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. He made a joke about how far they'd come from him wishing Lucas would disappear and her wishing Nathan was a better boyfriend. They both cringed at the memory. Then Lucas caught Peyton's eye, and Haley caught Nathan's eye, and without another word, they were each walking towards their spouses.

Lucas pulled Peyton onto the dance floor, and she didn't fight him on it at all. "Hi wife," he said quietly.

Brooke came over and wordlessly took the champagne glass from Peyton's hand so she could properly dance with her husband. "Hi husband," she echoed. He smiled contentedly and pulled her a little closer. "So you look kind of happy."

He laughed and shook his head at her. "Yeah, I'm not having such a bad day."

"Oh, good," she laughed.

"So, I maybe did something for you. For us," he said almost nervously. She narrowed her eyes at him. Of course he did something. He was kind the a master of surprising her. "Nothing crazy. I know you didn't want to go too far from Grace, but...since we couldn't go to Paris..."

"Lucas, what did you do?" Peyton asked seriously.

"A week in Quebec City," he said. "It's not much, but..."

She cut him off with a kiss. She couldn't believe him. He'd known she'd wanted to go to Paris since they were teenagers, and she'd never been. No, she didn't want to leave Grace and go so far away from home, so he'd given her the next best thing. A week in one of the oldest, most beautiful cities in North America, with tons of history and art and just everything she could want in a honeymoon. Oh, and the man. The man would only help make it more amazing. Truthfully, she was sure they could have gone anywhere and they would have had an amazing time.

"I love you," she whispered. It was needless, but that was the point. That was how a marriage worked. You said things that the other person didn't need to hear, so that when they did need to hear it, they wouldn't have to question it.

And really, there was no doubt in the world that she loved him and he loved her.

---

Lucas was a little bit surprised how easy it was for him to adopt Grace. It wasn't necessarily a simple process, but he'd expected it to be a lot more difficult. As it turned out, since he and Peyton were married, and Peyton was Grace's legal guardian and the girl's parent had terminated their legal rights, it was just a matter of filing some paperwork and a social worker coming for a home study. It was essentially an interview where a woman came to the home for a tour, then spoke with Lucas and Peyton together, and then Grace separately. The social worker actually laughed at Grace's enthusiasm to have Lucas as her dad. When Peyton explained that Grace had practically been insistent upon it, the woman said that it was essentially a sure thing. The paperwork went through within a couple weeks.

And then Grace Sawyer was officially Grace Sawyer-Scott.

Peyton had to go to L.A. to speak with one of her old galleries about their interest in displaying some of her new work, and though she hated the idea of leaving Lucas and Grace for three days, she was kind of excited, too. She had to take three days off work and it was right at the start of the basketball season, but Lucas insisted that he and Grace would be fine without her for a few days. They said goodbye at the airport, and Lucas held Grace's hand as they watched Peyton step through security.

The first couple days were a little strange and hectic. Between Lucas' practice schedule (two a days before the first big game of the season) and Grace's school, Lucas was running off his feet. Luckily, he had Brooke's help when he needed it. The next day was game day, so Haley picked Jamie and Grace up from school and took them straight to the gym to watch practice and stay for the game. She and Brooke were taking pizza over around dinner time, then they'd watch the game with the kids.

That night when Lucas got home, he was completely exhausted and collapsed onto the sofa almost immediately after he locked the door behind he and Grace. He noticed she was standing there looking at him expectantly. "What?" he asked.

"It's Friday," she stated.

"Uh. Yeah?"

"Dad! It's _Friday_," she repeated, sitting down on the sofa next to him. "What do we do every Friday?"

"We make hot chocolate and sit out by the water," he said, smiling over at her. "Sweetie, it's getting cold out."

"That's why we have hot chocolate," she told him, like it was the most obvious thing in the world and his excuses wouldn't work.

"You still want to do that even though your mom's not here?" he asked. He was a little surprised that she did. That was always the thing she and Peyton got most excited over. Of course, he loved it too, that time with his girls, but he'd always assumed it was a family thing, not something they'd ever do when one of them was missing.

"Uh huh."

He laughed softly and shook his head. "Okay. Just let me go change first, alright?"

So he made hot chocolate and they walked out to the little patio Lucas had constructed during the summer, and they sat there and talked and laughed together. Grace said that Lucas made the best hot chocolate, but he wasn't allowed to tell Peyton she'd said so. He wasn't at all surprised when Grace yawned and her eyelids started to droop. She looked at him at one point, and he knew that without her saying a word, she was asking if he'd carry her inside. And of course he did. He got her all tucked into bed, and she was asleep literally as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Lucas was far too tired to even walk back downstairs, so he went straight into he and Peyton's bedroom and reached for his cell phone as he turned on the television to catch the news. He noticed he'd missed a call from Peyton, and he realized he'd told her he'd call her right after the game. He knew she'd understand that he and Grace had gotten sidetracked.

"Hello?" Peyton answered.

"Hi," he said, laying back in bed. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How was the hot chocolate?"

"How'd you know?" he asked. He could hear her smiling, like even the thought of he and Grace out on that back patio together made her happy.

"Please. Grace is kind of a creature of habit, Luke," Peyton said with a laugh. "There's no way you got out of Friday night hot chocolate."

He laughed and let out a sigh. "We missed you. I miss you."

"I should hope so," she insisted. "I hate being away from you."

"Makes you wonder how we stayed apart for so long," he noted. It wasn't an accusation or anything negative at all. It was just an observation they made often. They just _worked_ together, and it was hard to believe they'd ever ignored that.

"Well, I'm coming home tomorrow."

"What? I thought you were there until Monday," he said. His heart was already racing at the thought of her coming home, back to where she belonged.

"Well, if you want me to stay..."

"I want you home, but...what happened?"

"What happened was I got all my meetings done today, and the first available flight is tomorrow morning," she explained. "So, if you can pick me up from the..."

"Of course," he cut her off. "I'm so...Wow. This is amazing."

"You make it sound like I've been away for three years or something," she said laughingly.

He looked over to her empty space on their bed and ran his hand over the duvet. "Three days is too long."

"I completely agree," she said quietly.

----

Grace was just a few weeks away from turning 10 when Lucas and Peyton discovered they were pregnant with their first baby.

Grace was just a couple months older than 10 when Lucas and Peyton discovered they were pregnant with their first _two_ babies.

They were quiet the whole way home from the doctor's office, both trying to wrap their heads around the idea of having twins. Peyton wanted to 'blame' Lucas and the Scott genes' super fertility powers. But she knew there was no 'blame' to lay. After the initial shock wore off, she was actually pretty ecstatic. It'd be hard, sure, to have two babies at once, plus Grace, but Lucas was... Well, he was Lucas. He was the most amazing husband, and she had absolutely no doubt that whatever needed to be done, he'd do. And Grace was old enough to understand and help, and she was already thrilled with the idea of having one sibling. Peyton knew the girl would love having two babies around.

Peyton placed her hand over her stomach as Lucas turned onto their street, and he glanced over at her, smiled, and took her hand in his.

"How are we gonna tell Grace?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Hey," Lucas said as he put the car in park. She turned to him and he sent her the most breathtakingly perfect smile she'd ever seen. "It won't matter."

They stepped into the house to see Grace sitting with Haley and she and Nathan's little girl, Olivia, or Liv, as she'd come to be known. Grace was holding the baby while Haley sipped a glass of water. Peyton squeezed Lucas' hand a little bit when she saw Grace with the baby. It wasn't anything new - Grace was great with kids - but it had felt different ever since they learned Peyton was pregnant. Lucas couldn't deny that either.

"How'd it go?" Haley asked happily. She was so excited at the prospect of a Godbaby that she was insistent that she be the one to watch Grace that day, just so that she'd be the first to hear whatever news there was to hear.

"It went...really well," Peyton said, glancing over at Lucas. Apparently she wasn't as subtle as she thought she was.

"What?" Haley inquired. She narrowed her eyes like she could tell there was more to the story.

"Well," Lucas drew out. Peyton went over and took Liv from Grace's arms, and Lucas completely lost his train of thought. She was a natural.

"What!?" Haley practically shouted.

Grace started laughing. "Dad, I think you just do that to make aunt Haley crazy."

"Sometimes," Lucas admitted, making he, Grace and Peyton laugh even harder. "Peyton, do you want to..."

"Lucas Scott, you tell me right now!" Haley insisted, standing from her place and putting her hands on her hips.

"Tell her before she hits you, babe," Peyton said, bumping her hip against Haley's.

Lucas sent his wife a grin, then looked back to his best friend, then his eyes met Grace's and he could tell she was just as anxious to hear the news. "We're having twins."

"What!?" Grace and Haley shouted simultaneously.

"Twins. Two babies at once," Lucas explained. Grace ran over and wrapped her arms around his waist, and Haley threw hers around his shoulders, and Peyton just laughed at the lot of them. Lucas took Liv from Peyton so she could collect her hugs, and Haley looked completely spellbound by the news.

"Two babies," she said softly. "That's...insane."

"Are they girls or boys?" Grace asked excitedly.

Peyton took Grace's hand and sat down on the sofa again. "We don't find out for another little while," she said. "Does it matter?"

"No!" Grace insisted quickly. "This is going to be fun!"

Haley shook her head like she couldn't believe it. She almost couldn't, really. "Only you guys..."

"Hales, twins aren't exactly uncommon," Lucas reminded her as he laughed. She took Liv from him and held the baby against her chest.

"Maybe, but...It's _you guys_. Of _course_ you're having twins," she said. "One baby wouldn't be enough."

"This just means we can put a little more space between these ones and the next one," Lucas said, winking at Peyton. She raised her brow at him as though he were crazy for even thinking about having another child at that point.

Haley stayed a while longer, insisting she needed all the details of the appointment and how they felt when they heard all those heartbeats and saw two little babies on the monitor. They all sat in the kitchen together, and Grace looked so happy that Peyton almost couldn't believe it. But of course she was happy. Grace had been asking for a sibling basically since the ink was dry on the marriage license, and the girl wasn't exactly subtle about it. She and Lucas had been in the hardware store one day not long after he and Peyton wed. They were only there to get stain to finish some shelves for Peyton's ever-growing record collection, and Grace stood there in front of the wall of paint samples and chose a bunch of them. When Lucas asked her what she was scheming, she'd told him they were for the baby's room. _"What baby?"_ he'd asked. She'd rolled her eyes and told him that when the baby came, the room next to hers would have to be painted the perfect colour. He didn't really know what to say to that. He'd just ruffled her hair and told her that _maybe someday _she'd have a sibling. They both probably knew there was no _maybe_ about it. Seeing her now with a huge smile on her face and so obviously anxious to be a big sister was somehow still surprising.

That night when Peyton came to bed after a long phone call with her dad, Lucas was already reading the book he'd bought that day about having multiples. Peyton just smiled and shook her head at him.

"This is really good," she said, tucking herself into his side.

He kissed her forehead and ran his free hand up and down her arm. "Yeah, it is."

----

"How's my family today?" Lucas asked, stepping out the back door and onto the porch to sit next to his wife.

He'd implemented Saturday practices in hopes of improving his team's odds of making it to the state championship game, and he felt bad sometimes, leaving Peyton with three kids until well after noon, but she insisted that she understood. She'd always been his biggest supporter when it came to coaching that team, and his players just kept getting better and better. The year before, his team was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, and he was determined to win a championship trophy. She couldn't hold that against him.

"Energetic," Peyton laughed, watching the kids playing tag in the yard.

Grace was obviously letting the two three-year-olds win, but they didn't know that. She was bigger and faster than they were, but they still thought it was hilarious every time they outran her. Peyton was just glad that her 14-year-old would still play with her siblings on a Saturday afternoon in the fall instead of just going out with her friends. But she was going to a birthday party that night, one that Lucas was skeptical of, to say the least, since it was a 'boy-girl' party and, in his opinion, she was too young for all that. But Jamie was also going, and Lucas and Nathan had already told the boy to keep an eye on his cousin.

"How was practice?" Peyton asked, looping her arm through Lucas' as they sat there together.

"It was good," he said simply. He didn't want to think about ball again until his practice after school on Monday. They watched as Alex stumbled and fell, and they both held their breath until they saw him get up and brush off his pants. Lucas shook his head. "Good thing he's so resilient."

"He's covered in bruises," Peyton laughed. "I caught him hanging upside down from the bar on the swing set today."

"What?!" Lucas asked laughingly. There was a reason they nicknamed their son 'Monkey'.

"And Kaley was _very_ worried about breakfast this morning," Peyton said seriously, smiling when Lucas shook his head. It was generally his job to make breakfast for the family. "Apparently I do everything wrong."

"You don't do anything wrong," Lucas said, leaning over to kiss her cheek sweetly. "I'm just a better cook than you are."

"Hey!" She shoved at his arm and he just pulled her closer to him. Peyton's outburst called the kids' attention to their father, and Kaley's blue eyes lit up across the yard.

"Daddy!" she cried.

"That's my cue," Lucas said quietly, a grin on his lips.

The twins had been born a few weeks early, which wasn't uncommon. Their disposition hadn't really changed since the day of their birth. Kaley came out screaming, and Alex was the quieter of the two. He didn't open his eyes until Lucas held him for the first time. Both had hair that matched their father's, and Kaley had those same blue eyes, while Alex's would alternate between green and blue, depending on the day. They both also inherited Lucas' dimples.

Their names were full of all kinds of meaning, though no one expected anything less. Alex, the first letter paying homage to Peyton's mother, and Kaley, the first letter, of course, in memory of Keith. Haley would say that Kaley was named after her, and it wouldn't be far from the truth. The twins' names in full were Alexander Nathan Scott and Kaley Brooke Scott. They'd somehow managed to honour all the people they needed to honour, all in those few names.

Lucas kissed Peyton quickly, then ran down the steps and towards the kids. Grace held her hand up for a high five, and Lucas obliged her, then she made her way over to sit next to Peyton. She reached for the glass of water Peyton had been holding and took a sip. "They tiring you out?" Peyton asked knowingly.

"Seriously. The bigger they get, the more energy they get," Grace laughed. "Tell me you aren't having any more."

"Grace!" Peyton cried. "You used to be desperate for siblings."

"I'm joking," the girl insisted. "It'd be cool if you had another baby."

"We'll see," Peyton said quietly.

"Oh my God!" Grace proclaimed. "You're actually thinking about it!"

"Stop it," Peyton scoffed. "It's...your dad and I have barely talked about it."

"But you _have_ talked about it."

"A little," Peyton admitted. "Don't say anything. To anyone." Grace nodded her head, but she was smiling. "Grace Amelia Sawyer-Scott, promise me."

"Okay, okay! Jeez. Put away the mean mom act," she teased. Peyton was pretty much the furthest thing from a mean mom. They both laughed when they watched Lucas lay down in the grass and the twins stood over him and demanded that he keep playing. "You sure you want more? I mean...we three are pretty horrible."

Peyton laughed and wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders. Grace's hands came up to rest on Peyton's forearm. "We kind of won the lottery with you guys. The next one could be a monster."

"No way," Grace insisted, shaking her head. "I think that's like, a genetic impossibility." Though it always made Peyton nervous when he did it, Lucas tossed Kaley up in the air and caught her on the way down, then he sent his wife a wink as she scowled at him. "Remember when we first moved here?"

"Here to this house, or here to Tree Hill?" Peyton asked, turning to look at Grace.

"To Tree Hill," she clarified. Peyton smiled fondly and nodded her head. "I told you to marry him."

Peyton laughed at the accomplished smile on Grace's face. "So you're trying to take credit for all this?"

"Shouldn't I?"

"Oh honey," Peyton said, shaking her head and looking towards her husband again. "The groundwork for that was all laid before you were even born."

Grace and Peyton stepped inside to start working on dinner, and Lucas stayed outside and played with the kids. Peyton knew that he'd be completely exhausted afterward, but she loved that he didn't ever seem to care about that. Neither of them ever gave a second thought to things that would happen later. Being tired or achy or having clothes covered in grass stains. They both decided early on in their marriage, before they even started trying for a baby, that they'd live in whatever moment they were in. They had three loving, gorgeous, well-rounded kids to show for it. They were a close family, closer than even their friends would have guessed, and they loved every second of it.

After dinner, Grace ran upstairs to get ready for the party, and though she'd never done anything that made Lucas question her, he was visibly worried about what she'd come back downstairs wearing. Peyton told him to relax, and he heaved a sigh and sat down on the sofa with her while they waited. He actually laughed at himself when Grace walked downstairs wearing a pair of jeans and a black tee shirt, a pair of Converse, with her leather jacket in her hands. She asked him what was so funny, and he just shook his head and told her it was nothing. He should have known.

He wasn't crazy about the idea of a boy driving her to this party, but at least he knew who the kid was. Jared was a player on the varsity team who knew that Coach Scott's daughter wasn't to be messed with. Jamie was also friends with the guy, since he too was on the varsity team, so they were all heading to the party together. Lucas still stood in the doorway, an impending presence watching the car disappear down the street. Peyton was shaking her head as he moved back to the sofa, but he just shrugged his shoulder, as if to say that it was his job as Grace's father to do such things.

After they got the kids to bed, Lucas and Peyton lay down on the sofa together with a little music playing. She loved that they still did things like that; the same things they used to do as teenagers.

"Grace asked if we're going to have another baby," Peyton said out of nowhere. Lucas just chuckled softly, and Peyton looked up at him.

"And you said?"

"I said...we'll see." She was toying with one of the buttons on his shirt, and he pulled her closer and kissed her hair. "I wanted to say yes," she admitted quietly.

"Yeah?" he asked hopefully.

"We could do it, right?" she asked. She pulled away and noticed a certain gleam in his eyes. Maybe she should have chosen better words. "I mean financially."

"Yeah. That too," he joked. She rolled her eyes and he pulled her in for a kiss. "Let's have another baby."

She smiled and pressed her lips to his the same way she always did when she was excited over something or another. "Who would have thought we'd have four kids? That's...it's kind of crazy," she said with a laugh.

"Well, Grace was unexpected, and having twins was unexpected," he reminded her. "So really...I mean, it's not that crazy."

"And we did buy this big house for a reason," she said, smiling over at him. He grinned boyishly and she pressed herself against him a little more. "You just wanted to fill it with babies."

"Well you're not exactly resisting that idea," he pointed out. "In fact, we could do something about that right now."

"Lucas, Grace could come home."

"It's 9:00," he insisted. "Her curfew isn't until midnight."

"Mmm," she murmured, shifting against him again, her leg draped over his hip causing him to take a sharp breath. "When you put it that way."

He moved a little bit so they could stand, then he pulled her flush against him, and she was smiling when he looked at her. "I love you."

She kinked her brow in mock-disbelief when she met his eyes again. "Really?"

"C'mon. I'm serious," he said, pulling her hips even closer. She smiled and rest her head against his chest. "I love you. Always have," he said quietly into her ear.

"I love you too." She kissed him, then, and he moved his hands up her back to tangle in her hair. "Lucas Scott."

"Hmm?" he mumbled against her lips. He was pretty sure the talking portion of their evening was over.

"Make a baby with me," she almost whispered.

The beauty of their entire relationship was that even after years of marriage and even more years of knowing and loving one another, she could still say things like that and catch him completely off guard. She could still stop his heart and render him speechless. She could still make it so the only logical response he had to those things she'd say was to kiss her.

And she'd never, not once, complained about that reaction to whatever words she'd said.

_**-Fin-**_


End file.
